Blood Ties
by Hyena Cub
Summary: The new generation of Ronin must join forces with the previous generation to save the world. Sequel to New Blood
1. Merrry Christmas

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Ronin Warriors. All canon aspects belong to their rightful owners. All original characters and aspects are mine.**

**CHAPTER 1: Merry Christmas**

The room was noisy, bright, and cheerful. Red and green streamers hung from the ceiling, just low enough to annoy Suisei when he tried to walk through the room. There was no actual Christmas tree, but there was a half-sized replica of one made out of cardboard and construction paper that Tarun had made; he had never celebrated Christmas before, and wanted to have a tree. He had even made ornaments for it. Nohano personally liked it better than most of the art_ificial ones._

Delicious smells came from the kitchen, where Demetrius was making some Russian traditional foods, and Amaya was making some Japanese ones. Rashida was teaching Killian and Nohano a song in her native Urdu tongue, giggling softly when they mangled a word, which happened often. Xander was showing Suisei had to play the latest Legend of Zelda game on the Nintendo Centurion, and Tarun ran almost non-stop through the house, laughing excitedly, and helping anyone that would let him.

The San Francisco winter afternoon was bright and mild; too chilly for Nohano's liking, but just fine for everyone else at sixty degrees Fahrenheit. The windows were open, letting a fresh breeze in from outside; it had rained the night before, cleaning the air.

Rashida finally called a break in her lesson, saying that they could finish learning the song after supper, and sing it to the others. Killian said that was fine with him, and wandered into the kitchen to see if there were any food samples around to try. Nohano flopped onto the couch, thinking about all that had happened in the previous weeks.

It was Christmas day, three months after the Ronin had battled the demon Talpa in his own realm, and come out victorious. Talpa had fled before he was completely defeated, in essence kicking the Ronin out of his realm, but they had all gotten out alive.

It had taken quite a while to recover from that week. Everyone had been injured, some badly, and Nohano's injuries were the worst from battling Talpa in the Inferno armor. But the Inferno had taken a lot out of all of them, draining their strength as effectively as the Nether Spirits had—though without the taint and the awful, soul-deep pain.

They'd tried to describe how that felt, the Nether Spirits draining them, but there weren't words for it; they were able to send a small bit of it through the mind link. What little Nohano _could_ feel was horrible enough. He couldn't imagine enduring the real thing.

President Rhyann Cavanaugh herself had summoned the Ronin to the Oval Office itself to commend them after their battle, and to explain that she knew about their war. That had been one strange conversation. She knew almost as much as they did themselves, thanks to Yasuo Toshitada and the actual Prime Minister of Japan, who had both given her the story of the Ronin and the Dynasty. Once information had been exchanged, she'd insisted the Ronin stay as guests in the White House until they had recovered.

The Ronin had contacted their families and Yasuo, warning them of the Dynasty, and telling them to take precautions against the Dynasty exacting revenge on the Ronin through them. Tarun and Demetrius, in particular, were worried that the information they'd been forced to give the warlords during their imprisonment could be used to harm their families and allies. Yasuo said that he would help to protect them, perhaps relocate them to other areas to keep them safe.

After nearly a week, Nohano and his new family had decided they wanted to go back to California. Nohano had been afraid that some of them would want to go back to their families, and though he would not have tried to stop them, he would have been miserable on seeing them go. But no one had. They had grown too close to part, and had made the United States their home.

President Cavanaugh had been extremely gracious towards the Ronin. She told them that they would be receiving reward money for their deeds, which was custom when someone had performed a great service to their country. Even mere tips to the police about wanted criminals usually got the tipster a nice amount of money, but the amount that was given to them shocked Nohano. It would enough to buy a house, once they were able to settle back into San Francisco.

As it was, no one was allowed in at that time, and thousands of people who had lost their homes to the attacks were being taken to other areas, even other states, as refugees.

Amaya, Demetrius, Rashida, and Killian all needed naturalization papers to gain their American citizenship, and the president saw that they received the necessary paperwork. Xan said that he wanted to stay separate from his parents, and that was seen to as well. He even talked to them, explaining why he didn't want to be with them, and that he had found a place he felt more comfortable in. He wasn't very happy after that meeting, and said his parents hadn't taken it well at all. His father had ranted and raved, and his mother had cried. But it was their own fault, Xan said angrily, and Xan had his own life now.

They'd all watched the news reports, which were grim. Half the buildings and roads in San Francisco had been completely destroyed, with at least minor damage to everything else. There were not as many casualties as could have been, for which they were all thankful, though there plenty of injured. The most puzzling thing was, however, that no one who had been captured by the Dynasty remembered what happened. They knew that something had attacked the city, and they had all lost about a week's worth of time, but no one could recall what occurred in that week. Nohano thought it was probably for the best.

Killian said he wanted to see if his parents were alive, but the fighting in Australia was worse than ever, and information was proving nearly impossible to find. He wasn't going to give up, however, and President Cavanaugh said that if she had the resources to spare, that she would help. Nohano remembered standing in the Oval office on their last day there, thanking her about a million times for all she'd done to help them.

Nohano had exchanged contact information with Yasuo, who said once he returned to Japan that he would keep in touch. They'd all said goodbye rather reluctantly; everyone in the group had grown fond of the man in the time he had been at the White House with them.

After leaving Washington, D. C., the Ronin stayed in some apartments in Los Angeles for a month, often traveling to San Francisco to help in the clean-up efforts. A survivors database was compiled for those searching for friends and family, listing where they had been relocated to, and Nohano thanked the powers that were that the guys from No Quarter had made it out. Their apartment had been trashed, but they were alive. The Ronin met with them in Los Angeles, where they had also rented an apartment.

It wasn't until the beginning of November that they were all able to move back into San Francisco. The Ronin used their reward money to buy a house comfortable enough for the eight of them, near the apartment complex Nohano and No Quarter had lived in. (The other guys in the group took over Nohano's apartment.) The house was nice, but not ridiculously expensive. It was two stories, with a full attic and basement. There were six bedrooms and two full bathrooms (with a toilet, sink, and basic shower in the basement.)

Xan, Nohano, and Killian, who had grown accustomed to rooming together, took over the attic for their living quarters. Suisei, Tarun, Rashida, Demetrius, and Amaya all took a bedroom each, leaving the master bedroom as a sort of den and guest room. They didn't have much in it for now, just a bookcase, a bed, a computer table (Suisei had replaced his laptop computer), and a comfortable armchair.

There was a roomy kitchen and a large main room on the main floor—they'd gotten an inexpensive couch at a secondhand shop, as well as a few chairs, and a table for the kitchen. Oddly enough there was no dining room. Xan had gotten himself a comfortable cot to lie on, though Killian only got himself a soft pad to put beneath his sleeping bag, just as content to sleep on the floor.

The basement, Amaya had turned into a dojo of sorts, though she said she wouldn't bother with the tatami mats. (That surprised Nohano, as strict as she usually was regarding tradition.) She said when a person fought the enemy, they didn't usually fight on mats! It was there they did much of their practicing, leaving their isolated spot by the shore for their more exuberant and destructive attacks.

It had been a good few months. Though awful things had happened, the city was slowly rebuilding, and people were getting their lives back in order.

Rashida, Demetrius, Suisei, and Amaya had all had birthdays, celebrated with small parties and gift giving. No longer needing to work, Xander decided he wanted to finish out high school, and was able to transfer his records from Washington D. C. to San Francisco. He was two months late for term, but the teachers assured them they would help him catch up, and schools on the West Coast seemed to be less advanced than those on the East Coast. Killian decided he wanted to finish school as well, even though it was quite different than in Australia. They put him a grade behind his age, since he had a lot more things to get caught up on than most students, such as American history, spelling, and geography. It was not easy to juggle school and No Quarter, but the guys were really good in working with him so that he didn't miss many rehearsals.

Demetrius, at seventeen, did not want to go to school for only a year, and did not feel his English was good enough for him to be able to attend classes normally. He returned to his part-time construction job, enjoying the work—and he had plenty in San Francisco that year. Amaya, however, did attend the school, enrolling in a class called English as a Second Language, designed to aid foreign and exchange students with their classes. Killian, Amaya, and Xan all attended the same school, though Xan was a junior, and Amaya and Killian were in the freshman year together.

Suisei kept his job at the hangar, which he liked very much, and Rashida was thrilled to get a part-time job with a local archeologist who was willing to teach her on the job of his work. Nohano stayed with No Quarter, of course, and Tarun returned to elementary school. The schools were being extremely forgiving about students who were behind, given the city-wide catastrophe.

All in all, Nohano and his family were doing very well, and had settled into a pleasant enough routine. Still, it was weird for Nohano to live with so many people. Even at the foster home, Nohano had never lived with so many people at once—sometimes he would leave the house and escape into the large back yard, just to get away. He loved them all, but sometimes it got a bit much! But then sometimes when he felt lonely or uncertain, he had seven people who would cheer him up (or annoy him) until he shook the mood. He didn't think his life could get better.

Nohano was badly startled from his ruminations by a small form suddenly leaping at him, and he grunted as Tarun landed on his lap, driving him halfway into the soft cushion behind him. Nohano laughed as Tarun gave a gleeful grin. "Gotcha!" he proclaimed.

"Oh, yeah?" challenged Nohano, grabbing the boy and wrestling him to the floor. He launched a merciless tickle assault on Tarun while the kid flailed around shrieking in laughter. He finally let the boy up, grinning as Tarun caught his breath, and pointed an indignant finger at Nohano. "That's so wrong!"

Nohano cracked up. He wasn't sure where Tarun had picked up the phrase "that's so wrong", but he'd been using it for a week. 'Probably at school,' he thought. "Listen, half-pint," said Nohano with a grin. "Go pounce on Killian, yeah? He hasn't been pounced for three days now. He's in the kitchen. Just make sure he's not around anything hot or sharp—skewering him would be a bad idea!"

Tarun giggled and nodded his head, dashing into the kitchen. Nohano stood up, catching Rashida's amused glance. "You have a way with children," she said.

"Me? Naw. Can't stand the little buggers." She snorted. "No, seriously, I love the kid. Same as anyone here, really." He blushed as Rashida's expression softened, and she came over to put a hand briefly on his shoulder. She didn't say anything, but she didn't need to.

A sudden yelp of indignation from the kitchen had Nohano laughing once more. An entirely gleeful Tarun raced out of the kitchen, Killian in hot pursuit; Killian's face and the front of his shirt were wet, and Nohano deduced he had been drinking something when he was so rudely pounced upon. The two raced all around the living room, Tarun relying on sharp turns and erratic maneuvers to evade the Australian boy's grasp. When Tarun ran for the stairs, Killian was close to catching him, and even Suisei and Xan had torn themselves away from their adventure on the game console to watch.

A sudden thudding noise from upstairs, almost like a jackhammer, had them all puzzled until Killian's outraged voice sounded: "Hey! No armor, you cheater!"

Everyone cracked up, and Nohano collapsed back on the sofa, a hand over his head, at the image of Tarun speeding down the hallway like a cheetah, leaving an incensed Killian behind.

"I think that Tarun had better watch himself after this," commented Suisei when they'd calmed down.

"Boy, you said it," said Xan. "Killian'll be out for revenge, now!"

The whole chase ended not a minute later, with a yelp from Tarun, and a "ha!" from Killian. Killian came down the stairs in full armor, his _yari_ slung over his shoulder, its blades clamped around Tarun's ankle. Killian had discovered that aside from attacking, the _yari_ blades could be used as a mancatcher, doing no harm to the person he caught, but holding them fast. Tarun dangled upside down (also in armor, though without his helmet), yowling indignation.

After Killian dumped the boy on the couch, he armored down, stowing his aqua blue orb in his pocket. He looked somewhere between extremely irritated, and unwillingly amused. 'Just like brothers,' Nohano thought.

"You're gonna pay for that one, brat," said Killian, though without malice. At least not too _much_ malice.

Tarun giggled, banishing his own armor, and shrugged. "It was Nohano's idea."

Oops! Nohano raised his eyebrows and deliberately turned his attention elsewhere when Killian turned to glare at him. "I'll deal with you later, mate," he threatened. "For now I'm going to finish the glass of milk I had _just_ poured." With that he left the living room.

Amaya poked her head out and regarded the group evenly. "If you _children_ are finished...supper is nearly ready. Please come and help to bring it onto the table."

Everyone dutifully trooped into the kitchen, exclaiming over the delicious smells, and how good everything looked. Rashida proclaimed that her stomach was growling like an angry tiger, and Tarun said he was going to eat the whole kitchen. Nohano commented that the stainless steel countertops probably wouldn't digest very well, which seemed to amuse Tarun.

For the main course, Amaya had made Teriyaki chicken, something that was very common in Chinese restaurants, though Amaya said it was popular in Japan as well. Demetrius had made a sort of mushroom soup, and baked some odd-shaped biscuits that he had said he tried to shape into Christmas trees, but hadn't succeeded very well. He made an odd side dish containing kidney beans and potatoes, along with about a million spices. And to top it all off, Amaya had made a Japanese Christmas cake, which was a sort of sponge cake with a lot of sugar-filled decorations.

As everyone helped to get the food onto the kitchen table, Suisei looked sidelong at the cake, and then sort of narrow-eyed at Tarun. Nohano understood why; the kid hardly needed sugar. But Suisei didn't forbid him of partaking--it was Christmas, after all.

No one talked much during dinner, unless it was an exclamation of how good the food was. Amaya blushed each time she was complimented, saying she enjoyed cooking, and had done it often at home. "My father taught me," she explained.

Demetrius only grinned, taking the compliments graciously, though far less modestly than Amaya had. He had more reason to be smug; it was his first attempt at a recipe, and it had come out very well.

Nohano didn't know about anyone else, but he stuffed himself completely silly that afternoon, and enjoyed every minute of it. He even managed to stuff a piece of the cake in after all the food; it was strange to Nohano, since he'd never had sponge cake before, but he liked it all the same. "I think I'll never eat again," he finally groaned, slumping back in his seat.

Killian grinned at him. "See what happens when you get greedy?" he said cheerfully. "I didn't have to get my revenge after all; karma did it for me. You're gonna be sick, now."

Nohano snorted. "If that supper is what you call revenge, you've gone soft."

Though a half hour later, he could see Killian's point a whole lot better. He really had overdone it, and he felt like he'd gained about a half a ton, even a little sick. Taking pity on him, Suisei had gotten him a glass of Alka-Seltzer—didn't take away the full feeling, but it helped with the nausea! He sat on the sofa, feeling like a beached whale, and watched Xan and Suisei continue their video-game lesson where they'd left off.

Around five o'clock, the group gathered in the living room to exchange presents. Nohano had convinced the others to close the window against the chilly night, and the curtains were closed, leaving a single lamp to light the room. Nohano felt warm and content. "We have to get a tree next year," said Nohano. "And lights."

"Yeah!" said Tarun eagerly, reaching beneath his homemade tree to grab a small present. "Here!" he said to Nohano. "This one's yours!"

Nohano discovered then that Tarun's school had had a workshop before Christmas break so that the students could made presents for their family. Nohano opened the package to find a small, wooden box, with an awkwardly wood-burned Japanese character on it. He realized it immediately as _jin_, the virtue of his armor. Touched at the personal gift, and impressed at the skill Tarun had displayed in making it, he hugged the boy. "This is great," he said. "Fantastic. It's just big enough for my sphere, too."

Tarun beamed. "Yeah! That's what I made 'em for." He clapped a hand over his mouth, having revealed he's made more than one.

Nohano laughed quietly, thinking he'd probably made the same thing for everyone.

All in all the gift-giving was a very pleasant affair. The gifts were small, but they meant a lot. Demetrius, Suisei, and Rashida had gotten Nohano books, with a little note on the cover and the signature of the giver below it. Demetrius had gotten a book of Russian legends, and the others had gotten adventure novels. 'Like I need those now,' thought Nohano wryly. 'My _life_ is an adventure!' Still, they looked good, and he paged through them for a few moments.

Xan had gotten him a video game, and Amaya had bought an ornamental sheath for the katana that Nohano practiced with when he wasn't in armor. It had been one of the things he had bought with his share of the reward money; two practice katana. Killian's gift was a small, heavy, metal token. He said almost shyly (which seemed really strange on the outgoing Killian) that the symbol stamped on it was an aboriginal symbol for brother. He smiled and took a necklace from under his shirt, showing he had the same thing, though it was a mirror image of the symbol. Nohano understood; it was an indication that they were two of the same, and together made balance.

"That's great," said Nohano, unable to say anything more. He slipped the token into his pocket, next to the Wildfire sphere. He let his mind speak for him, letting his appreciation and affection through, and knew that Killian had gotten the message.

"I'm part native, you know," Killian said with a grin. "Got aboriginal blood in me. I've done some research in the old beliefs."

It was Nohano's favorite gift.

The other presents were similar. There were books and little toys, and a couple of gag gifts that had everyone laughing. (The walking pair of plastic buttocks given to Nohano by Xan made Nohano nearly laugh himself sick.)

As they were finishing their gift-giving, a knock at the door stopped the cheerful banter, and Nohano frowned over at the door. He wondered who would be knocking on their door period, without it being Christmas.

"Who the heck could that be?" wondered Suisei aloud.

Killian shrugged. "I guess I'll find out." Everyone was curiously quiet as Killian stood up and walked to the door, and Nohano suddenly had a very bad feeling. He had just gotten to his feet when Killian opened the door, revealing a man in some kind of uniform. 'Postal, or something,' Nohano realized after a moment of paranoid wariness. He relaxed, but only a little; the bad feeling hadn't gone away.

Killian talked to the man for a moment before the man gave him a piece of paper. Nohano felt a sudden, shocked wave of sorrow from Killian's mind as the other boy read the paper. The man grasped Killian's shoulder for only a moment before leaving.

Worried now, Nohano jogged over, forgetting about the wide-open door at the sight of Killian's face. Normally tan, it was almost as pale as Demetrius's, and his eyes looked wide and shocked. He suddenly looked far younger than fifteen. "Killian?"

Killian began to shake, handing the paper over to Nohano without a word. Nohano looked down, gasping softly as his eyes skated over the telegram. It was from one of the databases from Australia that Killian had been checking for the past three months. It was a computerized, automatic notice, horribly bland and matter-of-fact.

"What?" asked Xan, sounding alarmed.

Nohano looked up to see that the others had all joined them, and slowly closed the door, answering softly, "His parents are dead."


	2. 2094

CHAPTER 2: 2094

The rest of the evening was a kind of blur. Killian didn't cry just then. He took the telegram back from Nohano and numbly turned away from them all, heading up the stairs and disappearing into the hallway above. Nohano bit his lip, not knowing if he should go after him or not—would Killian even want someone near him? Nohano remembered pushing Killian away once after Robert had died, not wanting to see anyone associated with the events that had killed him. But this was different, wasn't it?

'He's your best friend—you should know whether or not to follow him!'

Once he'd thought that, Nohano realized he did know. All it took was the thought of Killian sitting all alone in the attic room to get Nohano's feet moving. He jogged to the stairs, walking briskly down the hallway. Killian wasn't there, but the trapdoor to the attic was open, and the ladder was down. Nohano knew then that Killian needed someone there. If he'd wanted to be alone, he would have pulled up the ladder.

Nohano climbed the rungs, looking around until he saw Killian's shadowy form in the corner, where the wall and ceiling met only five feet above floor level. The attic had an unpleasant, desolate look about it, lit only by the fading light from outside, shining feebly through the round attic window. He frowned and shut the curtains, turning on one of the lamps.

Killian looked wretched. He held the fateful telegram gently in his shaking hands as he stared unseeingly at the opposite wall. Nohano didn't try and think of what to do; he just did what felt right. He went quickly to his friend and put an arm around him, drawing him close, then putting his other arm around him as well. Killian did not pull back, only let Nohano hold him, at first almost seeming not to have noticed.

The next second Killian was sobbing, turning his face into Nohano's sweatshirt, his shoulders hunched in misery and his knees curled up to his body. Nohano clenched his teeth for a moment, resisting the urge to cry himself, and closed his eyes, rocking a little back and forth. He didn't try to say anything; what could he say? There weren't words for this kind of thing. He could only hold him and rock him, like he remembered his foster mother would do when Nohano would wake from one of his water nightmares.

Water... Killian had calmed Nohano with water once, weeks ago. Nohano looked briefly down at Killian, then closed his eyes again, this time concentrating on the warm, solacing safety of the fires. He tried to capture how it would comfort Nohano when he was upset or scared, how the smell of the wood smoke soothed him, and the crackle of the flame lulled him. He sent these thoughts as gently as he could through the link.

Nohano thought that it helped. He didn't know how well—Killian's sorrow was deep, overwhelming, not something that even flame could hold back. But it helped. It was all Nohano knew to do, and somehow he knew it was the right thing.

He wasn't sure how long he held Killian, though it was long enough for his rear end to fall uncomfortably asleep. But he didn't move; he wasn't about to stand up and leave Killian on the floor. Killian had stopped sobbing, but had not stopped weeping. It would taper off here and there, but start up once more, until Nohano feared Killian might be sick.

No one else came up into the attic, but Nohano could feel the others' mental presence, glad of their reassuring presence. Nohano was horribly unhappy for his friend, wishing he could fix it, when all he could do was help with the pain. But the others helped. Even their quiet presence, saying nothing, helped.

"Hey," Nohano said finally, softly. He looked down to the mop of blond hair, pulling away just the slightest bit. "Let's get you over to your pallet, okay?"

"Pallet" was what they called the floor pad and sleeping bag that Killian preferred to sleep on. Killian didn't answer, but he didn't protest, either, so Nohano shifted, grimacing at the numbness that was spreading towards his legs and prickling his muscles with pins and needles. Killian moved with him, standing for the most part, his head down and shoulders drooped. Keeping an arm around him, Nohano guided his friend, his brother, to the pallet, getting him to lie down on top of the sleeping bag.

"I'm going to get a cup of tea made I think," he said softly, but grasped Killian's hand at a sudden, mental protest. "No, I'm not leaving," he said. "I'm going to ask if one of the others will make it for you."

Killian nodded dazedly, looking at Nohano for the first time, his eyes shining in the lamplight. Nohano took a few moments to ask Amaya if she could make a cup of the Japanese tea she drank; it had some kind of herb in it that calmed people's nerves. She said of course she would, and Nohano thanked her before turning back to Killian.

He had curled up on the pallet, his face half-buried in his pillow. His shoulders were shaking, telling Nohano he was crying again. Nohano sighed quietly, moving so that he was right next to him, and smoothed his blond hair back from his wet face. Neither of them said anything; Nohano just brushed back Killian's hair or smoothed his shirt over his back. He kept a hold of Killian's hand.

Five minutes later, Amaya silently slipped into the room with a cup of tea in one hand, and Nohano wondered briefly how she'd gotten up the ladder with it. She didn't say anything, in fact Nohano was sure Killian hadn't even noticed her. Nohano didn't thank Amaya aloud, somehow feeling it would be wrong to make a sound. But he thanked her mentally, and she smiled, stroking his hair once in a rare gesture of fondness before disappearing back down through the trap door.

It was the beginning of a long night. Nohano persuaded Killian to sit up and drink the tea, which he did silently, still hitching in his chest every few moments. Nohano winced slightly at Killian's face; it was blotched red, his eyes swollen like someone had punched him out. He looked ten years old right then, a ten-year old who'd just lost his mom and dad.

Killian fell asleep not long after drinking the tea; its calming qualities also made the drinker drowsy, and he had to be exhausted. Nohano felt pretty exhausted himself, but didn't want to leave.

You okay?

Rashida's sudden mental voice startled Nohano, and he jumped, wincing a bit as Killian stirred, but did not wake. Yeah...I'll be all right, Rashida, he said wearily. Tired and upset. I wish to hell I could fix it. But wishing doesn't do much, does it? he added unhappily, thinking once more of Robert.

Sure it does, came Tarun's voice, unusually quiet. Wishing makes it better sometimes. It's like hoping.

Nohano smiled, unable to keep from doing so at the boy's bright mind. It wasn't just his words, it was the unconditional love and eternal optimism that came with the words. You're right kiddo, he said after a moment.

It's pretty late, came Suisei's voice. Xan's gonna head up there in a few to sleep, and the rest of us are gonna get to sleep, too. Things'll be a little better tomorrow, and we'll all be there. Killian knows that too, doesn't he?

He does, said Nohano confidently. Though just now he's not thinking about it...or about anything for that matter.

I wouldn't be either. Well...night, Nohano. We'll be here if you need us.

Gratitude filled Nohano then. He had felt this rush of gratefulness several times in the past months, realizing how great it was to be a part of a family, and to have people that would be there for him always. He couldn't get over how he could have possibly not realized how much he was missing. He looked down at Killian, biting his lip. Nohano now knew just how it would feel to lose family and vowed to stay right there with Killian.

He wiped his eyes and took a big breath, gently letting go of Killian's hand. He watched a moment to make sure he wouldn't wake, the stood up and stretched, wincing at the ache in his stiff muscles. 'I must have sat for at least two hours,' he thought.

After moving around for a bit, Nohano dragged out some blankets and set them on the floor next to Killian. Then he changed into his pajamas and grabbed his pillow from his hammock. Xan came up, his expression worried, and asked how Killian was. Nohano said he was okay for now.

"I can't imagine it," said Xan, shaking his head. "I just...can't." Xander gazed at Killian for a moment before heading towards his dresser. Nohano nodded wearily and lay down on his improvised bed. He listened to Xan get into his pajamas and lay down on his bed, reaching over to click off the lamp. The attic went dark, and Nohano closed his eyes.

---

The next day, Killian didn't cry at all, only went through the day like a zombie from the antique movies. He talked very little, and ate absolutely nothing, no matter how much Rashida tried to persuade him. Nohano knew she was concerned with Killian's health, but Nohano wasn't too worried. It was only one day, and Nohano knew he certainly wouldn't feel like eating if it had been him! If Killian hadn't drunk any water, then Nohano would be worried.

There had been a Net site address on the telegram, a survivors' database like the one that had been complied for San Francisco, except that this one also had a list of those found deceased. Killian had spent several hours on this site, getting all the information he could about his parents' death. Nohano wasn't sure if he wanted company or not, and so had just hovered around his friend the entire day. Killian seemed to welcome the company, even if he didn't say anything either way.

The Zales had died at the beginning of the summer, during one of the numerous battles that was tearing the country in half. Killian had been separated from them in March, when the Tsunami hit, during the hurricane battle. They had found refuge in a nearby shelter, but the shelter was being besieged by the combatants, wanting the supplies, wanting hostages and prisoners. Most of those sheltered there had escaped back into the battlefield.

No one knew for sure, but Killian's parents had likely been killed that same day, by laser fire. They were not found for weeks, and not identified until far later. The fighting was so bad in some places that entire towns had been abandoned, littered with bodies that lay without being seen to for weeks on end.

"We were right in the battle zone," said Killian softly late that evening. He was sitting on the couch in the living room, looking drained, and Nohano and Xan sat with him. Everyone else was in the basement, practicing. "The east and west coasts hardly saw any fighting...lot of people took refuge there. The ones that could get away. Most the fighting was in the Northern Territory."

"That's where Darwin is, huh?" said Xan. Xan wasn't very good with words, and even worse at concepts like emotion, but it was obvious he wanted badly to help his grieving friend. As a result he had interacted awkwardly and uncertainly with Killian the entire day.

"Yeah. Right at the top of the map. They brought all their fighting in the unpopulated areas...well, less populated than the coasts, anyway. Guess they figure so long as they're not huge cities, it's okay to destroy the towns."

He began to cry again, quietly, and Nohano put an arm around him. Killian leaned against him and Nohano sighed. War was stupid, he decided. It was stupid, and it was unnecessary, and people were just...stupid.

Later that night, Killian said he was gonna take a walk to the bay. Nohano asked if he wanted company, but Killian said he wanted some time alone, and Nohano was kind of glad. He needed a little bit of a break himself. "Be careful," said Nohano earnestly. "You got your orb with you?"

Killian checked his pocket, then nodded, and Nohano watched him leave the house and walk down the driveway. He had a brief (and stupid, he thought) fear that Killian wanted to go to the bay to commit suicide, but the more he thought about it, the stupider it was. Even if Torrent did want to kill himself, he certainly wouldn't use water. For that matter, Nohano wasn't sure Killian was physically capable of drowning.

Nohano spent a quiet evening with his friends, watching Rashida and Suisei face off playing a board game, and eating a supper he only barely tasted. It had been without a doubt the worst Christmas he could ever remember. 'And it started out so great,' he thought bitterly. Why couldn't the stupid telegraph people have waited until the next day? Why'd they have to ruin Christmas for Killian? Sure, his parents hadn't died on Christmas, but Killian sure as hell would always associate receiving the news with that day!

Killian came back around ten o'clock, his hair damp, and with a little more color in his face than he'd had since getting the news. He said nothing, but some of the horrible grief in his eyes had dulled a little, and Nohano was relieved to see it.

The rest of the week went slowly and quietly. There was some laughter, and some enjoyment, but the overall mood was low. When New Year's Eve came around, everyone stayed up until midnight to ring in the new year, though the celebration was not nearly as exuberant as it would have normally been. The group even drank some wine; Xan had managed, somehow, to procure some—Nohano decided he wasn't gonna ask how—and Suisei even let Tarun have a bit. The kid had somehow managed to get his hands on the kind of noisemakers that spun around a made a horrible racket (Nohano was tempted to strangle the person that had let him get those!) But when he ran around the living room with them in each hand and Killian smiled at the sight, Nohano was ready to forgive Tarun any noise he wanted to make.

Nevertheless, 2094 began on a somber note.

Killian, Tarun, Xan, and Amaya all went back to school after the New Year, and Rashida, Demetrius, and Suisei went back to work. No Quarter began singing once more at the Jolly Roger, their first gig since the attacks, and they were glad to be back at work. Killian understandably enough took a couple of weeks off, and Aaron took his singing part when they performed.

There was no real funeral for Killian's parents. Those who had been killed in the fighting had been buried in mass graves. It was a horrible phrase, "mass grave", and at first Nohano had been indignant that they would treat a dead person with such casual disregard. But Killian said he was okay with it. "They have to do it that way," he said unhappily. "Because there are so many dead. But even doing it that way, they prayed for them—even used a really generic, non-denominational ceremony for them. They did the best they could."

That made it better...but the necessity was still unpleasant.

January passed by, chilly, rainy, and dull. Even singing with the group became dull after a while in such miserable weather...though Killian was content enough with the rain. He usually went out and sat in it, coming back in soaked, but looking content, and Nohano generally called him a nut or a psycho or some variation thereof.

February arrived with a violent thunderstorm that had gotten the entire group of Ronin paranoid foran hour and a half until they confirmed that it was not a return of the Dynasty. Nohano was irritated; he knew from then on they were going to freak out every time the clouds rolled in, or lightning struck. Even when the Dynasty wasn't around, they made life inconvenient!

It was Saint Valentine's Day when things began to get interesting once more.


	3. News From Home

CHAPTER 3: News From Home

It didn't start with the Dynasty. The populace was paranoid, the Ronin were wary, but the Dynasty didn't show their faces just then. Xan got a letter in the mail from his mother on Valentine's Day, though even that normally would not be so unusual.

After Xan had told them he didn't want to live with them anymore, his parents were not on speaking terms with him for a month. The Ronin had gone to his house and helped him pick up his belongings, bringing them along when they returned to California, and Killian remembered the tense silence and barely masked glares of his father and the barely-restrained tears of his mother.

But Xander finally wrote to them on Halloween, explaining better in written words why he had chosen to live away from his parents, and explaining that he did still love them. They had begun to write one another, and Xan got a letter or two a month.

This one, however, was a bit different.

"Aw, man!" Xander was sitting at the kitchen table with a doughnut in one hand and a look of sheer irritation on his face.

Killian was sitting there with him, everyone else outside learning how to play kabaddi. "What's wrong?"

Xan sighed, shaking his head. "Dad's gone missing. I mean he already left the house weeks ago, but now Mom can't find him anywhere and he skipped out on his last court date—they're still dicking around with alimony." Xan scowled, his eyes roving the surface of the letter. "Jerk."

Killian bit his lip, but didn't say anything for a moment. He'd been reminded of his own parents, whom he'd give anything to see again. But then most things reminded him of them. He'd known in his heart they were dead, and hadn't seen them for months, but the confirmation had still been a terrible shock. He took a big breath before answering. "I guess your dad's not such a nice sort, huh?"

Xander shrugged. "He's not as bad as he could be. He never beat me or anything like that. But he doesn't really treat people very nice—including me and Mom. That's why she was leaving him. But for the most part he kept his obligations and responsibilities, and all that crap. I wonder if something's happened to him."

"Well...try not to worry, yet," said Killian, though the encouragement came out sounding weak, even offhanded. Normally he knew the right thing to say when someone was upset, but the situation was a little too close to home at the moment for him to be too effective.

Xan didn't seem to notice. "Yeah...well, he probably just forgot, or hell, maybe he left town. Mom's filed a missing person report so we'll see what happens I guess." Xander finished his doughnut and stood up, drinking the rest of his milk. "I'm gonna head out I guess. Take a walk."

"No problem, mate. Be careful." Xan nodded, and Killian watched him walk out of the door. Killian snagged a doughnut from the box and stood up to get himself a glass of milk, brooding about his own parents. He wondered what it was like to know your parents were separating from each other for good. Xander probably felt like he was the rope in a game of tug-o-war.

Once he was finished with his breakfast, Killian sighed and went outside to observe how the kabaddi lessons were going. He had to smile at the sight: Nohano, Rashida, and Tarun were squaring off against Demetrius, Suisei, and Amaya. Rashida seemed to have been tagged as the raider, and Demetrius's team had linked arms, shuffling all around the backyard to avoid being tagged. Killian laughed as Rashida tagged Suisei and tore off towards her team, while Suisei tackled her around the waist, trying to prevent her from returning.

Rashida managed to break free and collapse at Tarun's feet; the boy laughed delightedly and jumped up and down, cheering. Suisei, covered in dirt and grass stains, stood up laughing.

"So who's winning?" Killian asked, walking up to the group.

"We are," said Suisei with a grin. "Though they just got a point. The game's not over though! Still have two rounds!"

"Prepare to go down in defeat!" proclaimed Tarun. "Killian, you should join us!"

"I will!" promised Killian. "I wanna see how this game comes out, first!"

And so he watched as his friends set up for another round, this time with Suisei's team sending out the raider. They sent out Demetrius, who sprinted at Nohano, chanting "kabaddi kabaddi", and tagged the younger boy. Nohano lunged at Demetrius, but Demetrius was burly and strong, and simply dragged Nohano along. Everyone was laughing, even Nohano, who clung to Demetrius's waist and did everything in his power to try and stop Demetrius. He failed miserably, too.

Killian joined in after Nohano's team had lost their match, and Tarun stepped out to referee, running back and forth with the raiders and judging close calls.

When the games were over, everyone was tired, but in a good mood. Killian found himself wishing that Xan had stayed around to join in, and wondered where he was. He wasn't currently in the mind link, and Killian wasn't about the pry. He knew that if Xan was in trouble, he'd call for backup.

The redheaded boy did not come back until long after dinner, when Killian was beginning to worry about him a little bit. It was a relief to see Xan walking in the front door, looking tired. Twilight had darkened into night five hours ago, and any energy Xan might have taken from the brief dusk had apparently left. "Doing all right?" asked Killian. Tomorrow was Monday, so everyone else was in bed, but Killian had not been able to sleep.

"Yeah," said Xan, yawning. "Lost track of time. Took out my frustrations with some staff practice." Xan's armor came with no weapon, but he had taken a liking to the bo staff, and used it often. "Sorry if I kept you up."

Killian smiled. "No worries, mate," he said easily, standing up and going over to throw the deadbolt on the door. 'You'd think that in the last fifty years we coulda come up with a more secure way to lock a door,' he thought distractedly, shaking his head. Not that it could stop the kind of enemy the Ronin had made. "Anyway, I'm gonna head into bed now, then. You should, too—we've got school tomorrow."

Xan made a face, but he nodded. "Yeah, school's gonna be just fun," he said sourly. "You're lucky, you only go half a day."

It was true; Killian was taking only the bare minimum requires courses at the school (with the exception of German), getting them all over with by noon. Then he came home and went with Nohano to practice with No Quarter, who had switched their rehearsal schedule to allow Killian to join in as often as possible. At least they didn't rehearse every day! That would be too much, especially as they all kept up with their regular weapons and battle training as well.

"Night, Xan," said Killian, grasping the other boy's arm briefly. He smiled, saying nothing else, but through the mind link he sent a feeling of camaraderie, a subtle reminder that he was there if Xan needed him.

Xan sometimes forgot that. He was used to being a loner, and hadn't had many friends in his life. He was slow to ask for help, and sometimes forgot he even had it available. This seemed to be one of those times, judging from the brief, slightly surprised smile he flashed at Killian. "Let's get some sleep."

Xander and Killian made their way quietly to the attic, where Nohano had already gone to sleep in his hammock. He was snoring quietly as Killian slipped into his sleeping bag, and Xan took off his clothing and got into his pajamas. 'At least I won't have trouble falling asleep tonight,' though Killian ruefully. Since Christmas he'd had insomnia at least two nights out of the week, tossing and turning for hours before he managed to slip under. 'Something's gotta change,' he thought irritably as he closed his eyes. 'This lack of sleep is killing me!'

---

The next day, all was chaos in the house as usual. Nohano was cooking breakfast (he wasn't half bad!) and Amaya was grumbling about having lost her favorite pen, searching through her purple book bag for it. Killian and Xan both sat bleary-eyed, Xan with a cup of coffee (with a whole lot of sugar in it) and Killian with a can of Mountain Dew Ultra in his hands. Demetrius was more of a morning person, so he actually looked awake as he sat drinking a glass of orange juice.

As Nohano set plates of bacon and eggs on the table, Tarun raced down the stairs, his own bookbag on his back, grinning from ear to ear. At least half the older youths groaned at his exuberance.

"Too much energy!" Xander griped churlishly. "Why can't you give me some, anyway?"

"I wish I could!" said Tarun sincerely. "I have lots of extra."

"Boy do we know that," said Suisei, walking in after the kid and shaking his head.

Xan muttered darkly and finished his coffee, grabbing a handful of bacon and chewing on it with his eyes half closed. Nohano chuckled and sat down with the rest of them. The last to join them was Rashida, who looked half asleep, but was amiable enough as she greeted the group.

"You work today?" asked Nohano. Those of them who had jobs only worked part time; even Suisei, who worked at a hangar, repairing the planes. With so many of them working part time, they had plenty to cover their expenses.

"Yes," said Rashida. "I have to catch the bus in a half an hour." Her lips curled into a wry smile, as she added, "You ought to just use your armor to cook. It'd save on energy."

Nohano burst out laughing. "Can I even do that?"

Killian snorted. "You can set fires, can't you? Of course you could cook. I'd bet you wouldn't hardly use any energy, either."

Nohano shook his head. "You people are weird," he said, something he said often. Still, they had a point. He'd have to try it later on. It might be faster than the stove.

When breakfast was over, Suisei made sure Tarun had his bookbag and his kabaddi uniform, and headed out as well to take him to school. Xan, Amaya, and Killian left together to walk to the nearby high school, waving back to Nohano and sending sleepy "good-byes" through the mind link. Killian felt a sort of melancholy from Nohano's mind, and sent an extra friendly burst at him. He knew Nohano got lonely sometimes when he was the only one left in the house. And No Quarter was not rehearsing that day, either.

Feeling better?" asked Killian as the trio walked.

"Yeah," said Xan, scowling, "but I had weird dreams."

"You didn't dream of President Cavanaugh again, did you?" asked Amaya, her blue eyes shining with amusement.

Xan snorted. "No, thank God. I respect the lady, but dreaming of being her boyfriend was just...weird. No, none of them really made sense. I think the Dynasty was in there somewhere, but I can't be sure."

"Sounds lousy," said Killian sympathetically. "I haven't dreamed of them in a while." No one asked about the "in a while" comment. They'd all had nightmares at one point or another about their enemies, enemies that most of them could hardly believe they had ever fought. Killian himself sometimes thought he had gone crazy, or had dreamed the whole thing, until he closed his fingers around the Torrent sphere he kept with him always. He slipped his hand into his pocket where the orb rested, and grasped it, smiling at the soft, reassuring wave of cool energy that flowed from it.

"You keep smilin' like that while your hand's in your pocket, pal, people are gonna start wondering."

Killian blinked and stopped short at Xander's casual comment, his face growing hot as he hastily withdrew his hand from his pocket. Blushing furiously, he glared at Xander, who was smirking. "You're disgusting."

Xander laughed, but he didn't argue. Even Amaya looked faintly amused; Killian couldn't stay too angry with them. Their teasing was not malicious, even if it was highly embarrassing! He called Xander a ratbag, which made him laugh some more. He supposed Xander had a point, though. Even if everyone didn't have a filthy mind like Xander had at times—people would wonder what he was smiling about, especially if they saw his hand moving in his pocket. He began to blush again, shaking his head, and vowing to exact revenge for that comment!

It was not a long walk to Bayside High, and Killian's embarrassment had only just faded by the time they arrived. The smirks Xander shot his way hadn't helped much—apparently the pest wasn't feeling half asleep anymore!

The bell was not due to ring for ten minutes or so, and so Killian sat on the low wall that surrounded the school, talking with his friends. It was strange; none of them had made any close friends in the school itself. Killian and Amaya were foreigners, and had trouble fitting in to begin with, and Xander was still a loner when he wasn't with the other Ronin. He preferred to be by himself, and had that air about him.

'I wonder if that's healthy,' Killian wondered, not just thinking about Xander, but about all of them. He knew they were all viewed as kind of weird by the other students, and outright hassled and made fun of by many. He supposed they were an odd group; Killian's accent was strong, and he tended to use slang not heard much in America. Amaya still did not have English perfected, and sometimes spoke in somewhat broken sentences. Xander's flaming red hair was not all that uncommon, but it was still something the bullies could find to pick on. But it was more than that; the things they had done and seen, and the brotherhood they were all a part of made them different.

Still, not all of the kids were jerks! You'd think they would have made some friends by then.

'Well, maybe it just takes time,' said Killian, deciding he really didn't feel particularly unhappy about it. 'And even if we never make any friends here, we have each other. We'll never lose that.'

The bell rang then, and the trio parted to go to their homerooms. Killian remembered how Amaya had told them all one night about the schools in Japan, where most of the students did not move from classroom to classroom. They all stayed in one room, and the teachers were the ones who all moved around. 'How weird must that be?' Killian thought, shaking his head as he moved automatically through the mass of teenagers swarming the halls. He stopped at his locker and dumped most of his books, keeping only those he needed for his first two periods. He much preferred this way of doing things—it would get very boring, being in the same room all day—and they even ate their lunch in the classroom! 'Weird," he thought again, slipping into his homeroom and taking his seat by the window.

At least they had their mind link. The three of them had gotten into the habit of talking here and there to one another during the boring classes. They were very lucky to be able to use telepathy, because it made a lot of unpleasant things far more bearable! Even minor un-pleasantries like school.

Killian supposed that school wasn't all that bad. He didn't love it—few kids really did—but there were definitely worse things. He'd seen too many of them.

Nohano's mental voice startled him as the teacher went on with the start-of-day announcements. Having fun?

Killian jumped slightly, earning himself weird looks from the students on either side of him, and he felt himself blush again. 'Great day for my pride,' he thought, scowling. Thanks a lot, Nohano, you just made me jump—now they probably think I'm mad, or something!

Nohano was less than sorry. He laughed for several moments, and finally, Killian had to smile, too. Nohano could be a huge pest, but it was impossible to stay mad at him. And you deny this?

Ha! You're one to talk!

"Mr. Zale?"

Killian blinked and looked up at the homeroom teacher's voice, grinning sheepishly. "Er, yeah?"

The man sighed, shaking his head. "You seem to have been in the outer stratosphere for the last five minutes. Would you care to return to the classroom?"

"Sure," said Killian, blushing yet again. "Sorry." Nohano had said something else, but Killian walled him mostly out for the remainder of homeroom, giving the teacher his attention instead. When the bell rang, Killian hung back, attaching himself to the tail end of the line of students exiting the classroom. Then he took down the mental barrier and cussed Nohano out.

Nohano wasn't offended, which irritated Killian further. In fact he agreed with most of what Killian called him! Listen, mate, you can't be doing that during my normal classes! I gotta pay attention you know! he finally griped crossly.

Nohano seemed to sense that he might be taking his mischief a little too far, because the impish feeling left his link, and he answered, I know, 'Lian. I won't mess with your school work. Listen, lemme know when it's lunchtime. I can torment you then.

Killian laughed softly, glad no one heard him that time. Telepathy had its disadvantages, too. Okay...I'll do that. Don't have too much fun over there while I'm up to my eyes in homework.

Nohano snorted. Hardly. The Hawaiian boy faded gently from Killian's presence, leaving only the very faint "echo" that was almost always there. The telepathy was more than just a mode of communication, Killian had understood that right off. His friends were always there, even if only barely, because they had formed a link, a bond, and it wasn't something that could just be broken at will. For that matter, Killian wasn't sure he would want it to be broken. It was an incredibly comforting feeling to know that with a mental word, he could have any one—or all—of his friends with him. And he could go to them, in turn, when he was needed.

'You'd think it would feel crowded,' he thought as he made his way through the sea of students to his algebra class. But it didn't.


	4. Custody Battle

CHAPTER 4: Custody Battle

The morning passed quickly enough. Killian had four classes that morning, each an hour long: Algebra, English (he didn't care what they called it, the American language was NOT English!), History, and German. Tuesday, he would have a different set of classes; they switched back and forth, which was lucky for Killian. He never would have been able to leave at noon otherwise, and still get in all the classes that were required of year nine students.

When the lunch bell rang, Killian packed up all of his books (he had homework for two classes, to his annoyance), and headed for the front doors. He didn't see Xander, and was slightly disappointed; juniors and seniors were allowed to eat lunch off campus if they liked, and Xander usually ate lunch at a nearby Taco Bell. A quick mental query told him that Xander had already left.

'Oh well. At least Nohano'll be home.' It was definitely a relief to be out of school, and wondered if anyone resented him being able to leave early. Usually only the older students left school early, not having as many courses that they had to take.

Auf Wiedersehen, he said to Xan, and got a bewildered question in reply. With a laugh, he explained that it was German for "good bye". German was his last class of the day, and often had it on his mind when he left school. Killian got a mental eye-roll from Xander.

Killian grinned and walked down the street towards their house, his mind wandering back to his old school in Australia. 'Bet there's no school left in Darwin,' he thought morosely. He wondered if any even still stood. He expected that most of the towns being the most heavily hit had either evacuated or taken shelter. Maybe they didn't even hold school in session anymore in Australia until the whole thing was over with. While before the idea of no school would have made him cheer, now it made Killian feel melancholy and depressed.

His mood might have spiraled from there, were it not for a sudden mental yelp from Xander. Killian stopped short, feeling his eyes widen at the alarm in Xan's voice.

Xan! What happened? It couldn't be the Dynasty; the sky above was a crisp, brilliant blue!

For a moment, there was nothing, only vague feelings of fury, surprise, and hurt from Xander. Feeling cold, afraid that Xan was in some kind of trouble he couldn't handle, Killian broke into a run back towards the Taco Bell Xan usually lunched at.

Killian, what's going on? It was Nohano's voice; obviously he had caught it, too. A moment later, Amaya's mental voice joined in; Killian supposed the others were not close enough to have caught it yet.

I dunno! Killian exclaimed. I'm close, I'm heading that way!

Xander suddenly broke in, sounding and feeling shaken. I'm okay, he said hastily. I'm—I, there's a little trouble, but—nothing huge. Not like Talpa or anything.

Killian took a big breath and slowed down, closing his eyes, trembling a little bit. It had been sudden, and had startled him more than he'd admit. You still need me to come over there, mate?

Yeah—yeah I'd like you to if you don't mind.

Most others might not have caught it, but Killian could feel Xander's distress; whatever had happened, it had scared him a little, but upset him a great deal. Do I mind...of course not! I'll be there in five.

Okay, thanks...I'll explain then.

Killian nodded, relaying the message to Nohano and Amaya in case they'd not gotten it, and received their acknowledgements. Amaya was due back in class soon, but Nohano asked if Killian and Xander wanted him to join them.

I dunno yet, said Killian. We might be heading back home soon. He looked up to see how far he'd gotten, and caught sight of the fast-food restaurant sitting on the corner of the street. Killian broke into a jog and was at the door of the place a minute later. He looked cautiously around, but saw nothing particularly amiss, so he grasped the metal handle of the glass door and walked in.

He caught sight of Xander at a nearby table, his head in his hands, looking utterly shaken. A concerned employee stood nearby, seeming to be watching over him, and looked up as Killian approached. "Hi," said Killian distractedly to her, most of his attention on Xander.

Xander looked up, relief crossing his face, and stood. Killian stepped forward and hugged his friend for a moment, glad that he seemed to be relatively unharmed. He had a bruise on his face and he looked distinctly bedraggled, but it was nothing serious. "I sure am glad to see you," muttered Xander.

"What the blazes happened?" Xander sat back down and Killian joined him, sitting in the opposite seat. He noted vaguely that the other customers were looking curiously at them, even craning their necks to see, but he didn't much care.

"My dad," said Xander, shaking his head in astonishment. "He's gone completely bug-nuts, I swear he has! He came here!"

Killian gaped. "He what? He came here to this Taco Bell? I thought he was across the country!" But he suddenly thought of the letter Xan had gotten, the news that his father had been missing...

"Yeah, me too! I guess he's been looking for me for two weeks, and found out I go here for lunch! Killian, he—well, he tried to grab me, said that I was coming with him and that he'd...had enough of my rebellion, and..." Xander shook his head again, clenching his hands, his eyes narrowing. Killian could only stare. "Damn him! I mean what the hell! I'm legally emancipated from him, did he really think he could make me go with him? When I refused he tried to force me into the car—he almost managed it too, because he caught me by surprise." He lowered his voice. "But all that battle training, well once I got over the shock, he didn't stand a chance. He's strong, but he's no fighter."

Killian sat slowly back in his seat, feeling a little shaky himself, unable to believe what Xander's own father had pulled on him. "Crikey, mate—your dad tried to kidnap you!"

"I know," said Xan miserably. "The manager called the cops for me."

"Oh, joy, that means we'll be here all day." Xander laughed a little, but it was tired and strained. "I'm gonna tell Nohano to come on over, then, okay? Amaya'll probably head this way too after school, if we're here that long."

Xander's lip curled. "I sure hope not." Killian frowned slightly at the faint sound of sirens. Since Australia, he'd had a huge dislike of sirens, though he heard them frequently living in San Francisco. At least they weren't the hateful air-raid/natural disaster sirens. Those were the worst. Killian fired off a brief mental note to Amaya and Nohano, then sat in silence.

Neither Xan nor Killian said much until the sirens were right outside, loud enough to thoroughly annoy Killian. He looked outside to see two police squad cars parked on the curb, and frowned. He wondered why the sight of police cars was making him feel so anxious. Certainly after facing Talpa in his own palace, such a mundane thing shouldn't daunt him. But then he supposed some things were just ingrained into a human's psyche, and being nervous at the sight of police officers was one of them.

The female employee had left the table, and Killian felt vaguely bad at having almost completely ignored her, but surely she understood. Killian was suddenly aware of the almost nauseating aroma of the tacos and burritos—normally he enjoyed Mexican food well enough, he really wasn't a picky eater, but in his upset the smell was far too strong, and he wished he could let some air into the room.

The siren outside stopped, and Killian watched four officers emerge from their cars.

Things got a little confusing after that. The officers stepped into the Taco Bell, to the stares of the customers (some of whom had walked in since the incident and had no clue what was going on), and Xander stood, looking uneasy. Killian stood too, saying nothing, but using the mind link to let Xander know he was there for moral support.

One of the officers, a burly-looking woman who could scare young children, turned to Xander, speaking in a surprisingly gentle voice. "Are you Xander Black?"

"Yes, ma'am," said Xander, running his hand over the back of his hair.

"All right. Well, we've got a few questions to ask you...let's sit at that table there." She indicated a nearby table that was bigger than the two-person one Killian and Xander had been sitting at. Xander asked if Killian could join them, explaining they'd been on their c-phones when the thing happened, and that Killian knew about as much as Xan did. It was close enough to the truth, and the officers agreed.

Only two of them sat down with the boys to get their story. The other two set to questioning the customers and the employees about the incident. The whole thing wasn't as bad as it could have been. The burly woman did most of the questioning, and though she looked very mean, she was actually a really nice woman. She introduced herself as Emily Post ("Yes, that's my real name," she said ruefully), and began by asking Killian and Xan's full names.

Xander told the officers everything that had happened that day, beginning with the letter he'd gotten from home, and the ugly divorce that was still somewhat in the process between his parents. He told them how he was emancipated from his parents, but that his father had not wanted to allow it...but his mother had custody of him so it had been her decision. (That was the "official story of why Xan was on his own.)

"And then...well I came here for lunch like I usually do. Juniors are allowed to eat off campus. I wasn't even inside when he pulled up and got out of his car, grabbing my arm and demanding I go with him, said I had no business being out on my own and that he was to come home with him. I said no way, and he tried to shove me into the car."

"What happened then?" the officer asked quietly. "How did you get away from him?"

"Well, I've taken martial arts classes, so I know how to fight, and I'm pretty strong. I got away from him...I think I hurt him some, though I don't care about that." Xan's voice took on a vindictive tone then, and he clenched his fists for a moment before continuing. Killian put a hand on his shoulder. "People were coming out of the store then, and my dad left. I told Killian what was going on, and he came over. Well, he was already on his way."

The officers asked Killian then what he'd heard, and with some quick mental communication, Killian was able to relate fairly accurately what was said, and what he would have heard over a c-phone. Officer Post then asked for the description of Xander's father, and what kind of car he drove, and any other relevant information. Killian learned that the father's name was Doug Black, and that he drove a white and red 2090 Corvette. 'Lousy taste,' Killian thought.

Nohano complicated things slightly just then by bursting into the Taco Bell and looking around briefly before barreling over to the table. One of the officers very nearly drew his stun-stick, and Xander blinked, startled. "Xander! Are you okay? What happened, where's your dad?"

Killian felt a sudden rush of fondness for his friend. Nohano didn't care there were four police officers there, and that two were with Xander right then getting information about the crime. He didn't care how he was being stared at, or that he was being rude, or how far he was from being stunned by one of the cops. He just cared that his friend had been hurt, and was probably about ready to pound Xander's father into the ground.

Xander's expression went from mild alarm to gratitude for Nohano's protectiveness, and Killian stood, grasping Nohano's arm. "It's okay," said Xander to the officer who still looked ready to draw his weapon. "He's a friend."

"And he's protective like a mother hen," said Killian, still grinning fondly at Nohano. Nohano blinked and flushed slightly, and Killian felt his friend's ire ebb a little.

The male officer relaxed, and Officer Post chuckled. "I guess I can understand that. We still have a few more questions to ask Mr. Black, however, if you could wait a few moments?" The male officer wasn't as nice about it, grumbling something about letting them do their damned job. Nohano scowled, and Killian dragged him away from the table. The last thing Wildfire needed to do was to start a brawl with the cops.

Leaving Xander to finish his interview, Killian filled Nohano in on the events of the afternoon. Nohano spent several moments cursing through the mind link and venting some anger before he was able to ask any coherent questions. Killian didn't know the answer to most of them, since he had no idea where Xan's father was. "All I know is he seems to think that he has some sort of claim or authority over Xan, and he doesn't," said Killian.

"Jerk," snarled Nohano. "I'd love for him to try that while we're home. I'll show him that new katana move Amaya taught me last week."

"Not a great idea," said Killian with a wince. "You might get into trouble, depending on the circumstances. I don't think you'd care to be in jail for murder."

Nohano blinked, and it was clear that a murder charge had not occurred to him. "Guess I've spent too much time fighting the warlords," he murmured. "Don't have to worry much about mortal laws when they're involved."

Killian sighed quietly. "Yeah, you're right." He caught a movement of blue to his left and looked over to see the two officers had stood up from their seats. Officer Post was shaking Xan's hand, and Killian caught a few words of thanks for his information. "We'll see what we can find out. In the meantime...do you need a ride anywhere?"

Xander glanced over at Killian, who shrugged, and Nohano, who responded through the mind link that he didn't care one way or another. Just so Nohano and Killian could accompany him. Xander turned back to the cops. "Nah, that's okay," he said. "Thanks. But I can walk back with my friends. We don't live far."

Officer Post smiled. "Okay. Be careful, all right?"

Xander nodded, and joined Nohano and Killian by the front doors. They moved aside to let the officers pass, watching the two who had questioning Xander sit in their cars for a moment before leaving. 'Reports,' Killian guessed. The others had left right away.

"Are you okay?" asked Nohano, looking Xander worriedly up and down.

"Yeah. Just got a little banged up. But it's nothing."

"Did you get a chance to eat?"

Xan shook his head darkly. "No. But I don't wanna stick around. Let's just go home; I can eat there. I'll call the school and let them know what happened, and I can catch up with my work tomorrow."

"That sounds like a plan," said Killian with a grin, far less tense now that the whole thing was over...for the moment.

The three boys didn't say much on the way home. Xander used the mind link to tell Amaya what happened, and Killian tried to contact the other Ronin. Demetrius was the only one paying enough attention to respond; he had finished his work and was heading home. Suisei and Tarun were likely quite busy, and Rashida might not even be in town. She often accompanied her mentor on her research and excavation trips.

By the time they got home, Demetrius was there, and he met them at the door. He was still wearing his work clothing: jeans, steel-toed boots, and a bright orange shirt. He asked if they were all right, and they assured him that only Xander had gotten hurt, and only minorly. "The thing I'm worried about is him trying to pull this again," said Killian grimly.

"Yeah," said Xander, his expression glum as he sat down on the couch. "I never hated him but I never liked him much, either. But I never thought he'd pull this. Why does he want me with him? He can't care much about me. He's just pissed off that I don't have to listen to him anymore."

"Possessive," said Killian softly. "Parents can get that way with their kids. You dared to run away from them, and they couldn't do anything about it. Don't worry though, Xan. You know you got all of us as backup. If he does try that again he's gonna get a surprise."

"And the police may find him soon," added Demetrius. "Then we won't have to worry."

Unfortunately, that wasn't to be. The days passed, and no word came through on Xander's father; he had apparently gone into hiding or left town. He obviously knew he'd done something illegal, and Killian rather hoped he'd been scared away from his son for good. He doubted it, but he still hoped.

When the rest of the Ronin heard the story, they all expressed indignation and anger at the man's actions, all assuring Xan that if he did it again, he'd have the entire group to deal with. Xander had been visible touched by the declarations, even if he hadn't known how to express it.

'Holidays just are not looking so good lately,' though Killian a few days later, remembering Christmas Day. 'Wonder what'll happen on Saint Patrick's Day.' He was almost afraid he'd jinxed them.

As the days passed and nothing was seen or heard from Xander's father, the group began to relax once more. "As if the Dynasty wasn't enough to worry about," grumbled Xander once. "Hell, I think I'd rather fight the Dynasty. At least they're not related to me." Killian sympathized. It had to be awful, considering one's own flesh and blood the enemy. Aside from being angry at his father, Xan had to be feeling incredibly hurt. Killian hoped that nothing more came of the situation.

As March began to approach, mid-term exams began to take up most of Killian's mental energy. All three of the high school students spent a great deal of time studying, even foregoing weapons training, and for Killian, No Quarter rehearsals. Though when Killian thought about it, he was kind of glad to have such mundane worries for once. It was certainly less terrifying. At least they seemed to have seen the last of Xander's stupid father.

When March rolled around, bringing in warm, rainy weather, things began to get very weird.


	5. The Ides of March

CHAPTER 5: The Ides of March

Talpa's fury was a frightening thing, even to his allies, his servants. "Enraged" did not begin to describe his wrath at his defeat, of the necessity of capitulating to the wretched brats, of losing his battle to Kikoutei and the brat who bore it...

Talpa had screamed at his warlords, even unleashed his fury at them in the form of dark energy, but that was the extent of his punishment. They had fought well, yes, but even he had failed against Kikoutei, with the power of eight armors behind it. He wanted those armors now, more than ever, wanted it so badly that he could think of nothing else for days.

His warlords kept far from him, and Talpa let them keep their distance. He did not summon them for weeks, only observing them from the darkness of his quarters. He'd had to do it. He'd had no choice but to expel the Ronin from his palace, to let them go. He could not afford to be weakened as he had been weakened a century before. He understood now that no matter when he surfaced, no matter how many years he waited, unless he had the armors in his own grasp, there would always be Ronin to fill the armors and to fight him.

And Talpa was not patient.

Sekhmet, Kale, and Dais kept the lesser warlords on their training routines, not wanting them to fall out of practice, and be less than ready to fight when their master demanded it. All of them felt their master's wrath in the very air, understood how great his anger was. And they were angry, too. They wanted the Ronin defeated just as much, and it galled them to lose.

For months they trained, increasing their strength, their skill. Dais analyzed the battle, picked out every weak spot he could find in the warlords' fight, and focused on those weak spots in practice. Even the lessers were angry at their defeat, furious that their master had been defeated by the wretched brats. Their loyalty to him shone in the ferocity of their training, their determination to avenge their master's defeat, to bring the Dynasty to full glory no matter what it took.

Autumn passed in the mortal world, and winter took its place. Talpa recovered his strength, brooding for hours on how to exact his revenge.

It was Badamon who presented him with the path, seeking audience with Talpa regarding a matter of some importance. He had granted the spirit priest his audience, warning him that if Talpa did not agree with the importance of his information, he would rue having disturbed Talpa from his rest. Badamon assured him it was important, indeed.

And so it was. It was very interesting information indeed. Nohano Kalama's group of warriors had not been the only "guests" in his realm that day; in fact there had been far more than eight Ronin in his realm for that battle, and all had helped to ensure his defeat. Nohano had not discovered Kikoutei all on his own; his predecessor, Sanada Ryo, head been there that day in spirit, telling him how to use it. The other Ronin, youths from a century before, had all been there, helping the new Ronin to form the Inferno armor.

At first this news enraged Talpa; even now they fought him, even now they helped to ensure his defeat. But the rage was gone with Badamon's next bit of information. By entering the Nether Realm as spirits, the Ronin had left a spiritual signature on the realm, a bit of their essence that could enable Talpa to connect with them.

And bring them to his realm.

There was little practical reason at first for bringing Sanada to his realm beyond revenge. Even Talpa could not kill a spirit, but he could torment a spirit, and the thought of Sanada Ryo in his grasp, suffering eternally in his dungeons brought dark glee to his heart. And in spirit, if subjected for long enough to the Nether Spirits and the Nether Realm itself, perhaps even Sanada Ryo's jin could be corrupted to Talpa's cause. Even without the armor, to add their power and skill to Talpa's dominion might just be the boost he needed to claim victory.

Badamon assured his master that it could be done, and was set the task of bringing the Ronin to the Nether Realm.

The weeks passed, and Talpa grew impatient, but he did not summon Badamon simply to urge him to hurry. He knew the spirit priest worked on his task night and day, and knew that interrupting him to scold him would be counter-productive. But he was still impatient.

And then, finally, as spring had begun to take hold, Badamon brought the news; he had secured a hold on the essences of the Ronin. The delay, he had explained, was doing it so that they could not notice. The rituals took time to complete, and if the Ronin were to fight before they had been snared, all could have been lost. For they were not the only spirits in the Spirit realm, and certainly not the most powerful. If Kaos were to realize what was happening...

But even Kaos could not rescue the Ronin from the Nether Realm once they'd been taken captive. Talpa ordered Badamon to complete his ritual, to bring the Ronin into Talpa's palace, into the lowest dungeon chamber. And they had appeared, quietly, without fuss nor fanfare, as Badamon completed the weeks-long ritual.

He had caught the Ronin completely by surprise; it was evident on their shocked faces, how none of them could manage to speak for several long minutes. The warlords had been there as well, lunging at them the moment they arrived, subduing them... Ryo had been the first to speak, demanding what Talpa had done to them, and what he wanted. Talpa had not bothered to enlighten him, only told Badamon that he was to bring his Nether Spirits down to feed off of the boys' energy. Badamon was far more intelligent than his spirits, but the dark priest was still one of them, and his ritual had taken much of his strength. Eager to replenish his energy, he obeyed Talpa's order, summoning his Nether Spirits down to the chamber.

The Ronin were able to feel pain as spirits, that much was evident as the spirits began to feed. It was disconcerting to Talpa to watch them, and for just a moment, he was not sure if the decades had truly passed. The Ronin came as youths, as he had known them when first they met. But then the disorientation was gone, and Talpa simply watched.

But he did not watch long. As much pleasure as their suffering gave him, he needed to speak to his warlords. This was only the beginning; with the Ronin here as his prisoners, Talpa could lure the others here as well. But he could not bring the new Ronin here just yet. There was one thing he had to do first. There was one man he needed brought into his realm first...

---

The first dream came to Nohano on the Ides of March—it figured, too. He was beginning to believe there was some kind of curse associated with that day; he'd had his first dream about the whole Ronin business that same day a year ago, witnessing the tsunami that half-destroyed Killian's town. He'd seen Killian that day too, though he didn't know it was him at the time.

It was a dream about Ryo, the boy who had held the Wildfire armor before Nohano had, but he wasn't alone. After a moment, Nohano realized that he was looking at the rest of the Ronin, the other four youths who had fought by Ryo's side nearly a hundred years before.

The dream was not much—no more than images and feelings, which puzzled Nohano. Most of the dreams he had ever had about the Ronin and anything associated with it had been crisp, clear, vivid, and detailed. It was how he was able to tell the difference between them and an ordinary dream. Nohano barely remembered the dream on waking, knowing only that the Ronin had been in it, and it had been in the Nether Realm. 'A nightmare,' he thought, frowning, though it hadn't been terrifying. 'Or just a bad dream.' It hadn't been a pleasant dream; the distinct impression it gave Nohano was bleak and hopeless, but it wasn't on the par of the first nightmare he'd had of the Nether Realm.

Nohano forgot the dream by that afternoon. He'd spent the day mowing the lawn; it was a fairly large lawn, but they didn't have a ride-on mower. Nohano had been tempted to get one; the newer models practically mowed the lawn themselves, but he ultimately decided not to, figuring it was silly to waste money, and that using the old kind would keep him in shape.

When Killian came home from school, the two of them headed to the apartment that Aaron, Gregory, and Manny shared for a couple hours worth of rehearsal. Sundays and Mondays they had no performances at the Jolly Roger (it was closed those days), which gave them more time to rehearse.

Nohano didn't see the guys as often as he was used to, and kind of missed them. He often visited during the day (though they all had small, part time jobs to augment the earnings they got from performing), but he still did not see them as often. It would be better once they began traveling again next month.

Traveling—Killian did not get out of school until the end of May! Nohano suddenly realized this at supper, looking over at Killian, who seemed unaware of Nohano's scrutiny. How the blazes were they going to work that, anyway? Killian wasn't going to be able to travel with them until June, unless he either took off school or found a way to take the classes through the web. He vowed to bring it up to the group next time they rehearsed.

Nohano dreamed of Ryo again that night, and a couple of nights after that. The regularity of the dreams was beginning to worry him, and he began to wonder if it really was just a vague dream. Was there some kind of awful thing waiting for Nohano and his group? Or were Ryo and his friends in trouble? Ryo didn't even know if it was possible to hurt a spirit. The fourth time the dream occurred, he decided that he would contact Yasuo the next day and ask him.

He didn't end up doing it, however. By the end of the day, his mind was completely occupied with another problem.

---

When Killian woke on Monday, he had a bad feeling. He couldn't put his finger on it, but he warned everyone, just the same. They listened, too; Killian's feelings tended to be right on. Amaya, who had gone to school early to work on a project, said that she had gotten to school all right, but the day outside had been overcast. That got everyone nervous right away.

"I love rain," grumbled Killian as he and Xan walked down the street towards the high school, "but thanks to the Incredible Empty Helmet, I get paranoid every time it happens. At least at first."

"Tell me about it," said Xan in disgust. He sighed as a few raindrops began to patter down, and glared up at the sky. "Shoulda brought an umbrella; I don't like rain nearly as much as you do. You should live in South America, where it rains every day."

"Not a bad idea," said Killian, and the two boys laughed. The rain was beginning to fall harder, too, and Killian turned his face upwards to enjoy it. He caught sight of Xander shaking his head.

It happened so quickly that Killian hardly had time to react. As he and Xander walked past a muddy construction site, a shadow loomed from behind a parked trailer, hurtling at them. Killian yelled a warning, but it wasn't quite quick enough; the unmistakable buzz of a stun stick, strangely magnified in the rain, Xander yelping, then collapsing to the ground.

Killian leapt back as the shadow (now taking the shape of a vaguely familiar man) lunged at him with the stun-stick, only barely missing Killian's side. Killian finally recognized the man; Doug Black, Xander's father, who had evaded the police now for weeks.

Black growled with frustration as Killian evaded a second attack, yelling loudly for the police. The construction site was on one of the few uninhabited stretches of road in the area, and no one was out in the rain. Killian faced off with the man, the surprise wearing off and his battle training taking over. His heart rate felt too fast, and his eyes were wide, but his hands were not shaking. "Clear off!" Killian growled, "or I swear I'll kick your arse!"

The man did not laugh, but it was clear he didn't take Killian's threat seriously. "Not without my son, boy!" He lunged for Killian, jabbing the stun-stick at his midsection. Reacting on instinct, movements almost too quick to see, Killian broke into a quick, powerful spin, bringing one foot up in a vicious crescent kick. The man howled in surprise and pain as the stun stick flew off into the mud, but Killian didn't give him a chance to recover. He shot his foot out into a side kick that sank his heel into Doug Black's gut, nearly sending him onto the ground.

Black staggered back, only barely twisting out of a third kick from Killian, a quick attack meant only to keep Black on the defensive. Killian faced the man once more for a moment, watched Black's lip curl with disgust, his eyes narrowed at Killian in an expression of sheer dislike.

It was only a moment, and then the man was moving again, sprinting, retreating from the fight. Killian watched him warily, then looked around, realizing that two people were running over, a man and a woman. They wore ponchos and carried umbrellas; only then did Killian realize the rain was now pouring down.

The two people came to a stop a few feet away, looking uncertain, as Killian managed to drop his nervous fighting posture. "You okay?" one of them asked. Her friend was kneeling down by Xander.

Killian nodded, biting his lip, and taking a few jogging steps to Xander, also kneeling. The man looked up at Killian and asked him what had happened.

"His dad," said Killian briefly, putting a hand on Xander's shoulder as the other boy groggily opened his eyes. "You all right, mate?"

Xander groaned, wincing, and very slowly sat up. Killian helped him, turning to the two adults who'd come over to help and asking if they had a c-phone.

"Yeah, I have one with me," said the woman. "You need an ambulance?"

Killian looked at Xander in silent query, and he shook his head, a slow scowl forming on his brow. Killian "looked" briefly into his mind, ascertaining that he was furious, but not hurt. "No," said Killian. "If you could just call the cops, we'd appreciate it."

The woman nodded, and the man helped Killian get Xander to his feet. Xander seemed to notice the two adults for the first time, blinking a little, and then thanking them for their help. The man said they were welcome, and there were some terse introductions among them while the woman talked with the police. Their names were Sean and Jeri, and had simply been enjoying the rain when they'd seen Killian fighting.

"That was a hell of a fight," said the man appreciatively. "Where'd you learn to fight like that?"

"A friend," said Killian, smiling a little at the praise. "Not entirely pleased I had to use it, though. That cowardly bugger snuck up and attacked my friend from behind." He sent a mental apology to Xander in case he'd upset him by insulting his father, but only got a vehement agreement from him.

"We'll stay with you boys until the police come if you want,' said the man. "Though truth to tell you'd be better at warding off any attack."

"That'd be cool," said Xan, taking a big breath and letting it out slowly. The fury on his face was slowly melting to upset, and Killian sling an arm around his shoulders. "Come on," he said. "There's an empty trailer a few meters down. Let's get out of the wet, hm?"

Xander agreed, and Sean and Jeri followed. Jeri had finished her call to the police, and put her c-phone away in a pocket.

Five minutes later, two officers were driving up through the rain. They parked, getting out of the car and covered with black ponchos. After getting everyone's name, they asked for what had happened. As Xander had seen very little of it, this time it was Killian who told the story. Xander only muttered that he hadn't even heard anything except for Killian's warning cry, and then the stunner.

One of the officers carried a handheld datapad, and was typing quickly with the pen stylus as Killian talked. He frowned, shaking his head. "There's no 'Doug Black' registered," he said grimly. "Wherever he got that stun-stick, it wasn't through legal channels."

Killian guessed one needed a license for such a weapon.

"Stun-sticks are harmless," said the man's partner reassuringly to Xander, though Xander did not seem to agree with the assessment. "I know it feels lousy, but the effects'll wear off. You two headed for school?"

"Well we were," said Killian.

"Let's still go," said Xander suddenly. "That way I can zone out during class."

Killian blinked, but he nodded, frowning suddenly at a very urgent mental voice. Killian! Answer me!

Nohano, and he sounded almost frantic, and Killian realized that Nohano had been trying to contact him now for a while. Surely he'd picked up Killian's sudden alarm, the adrenaline of the fight... Sorry--hold on, he said tersely, trying to coordinate talking both mentally and verbally. It wasn't easy.

Nohano did quiet, his worry diminishing greatly, and Killian finished his conversation with the police. They offered the boys a ride to the school, which they gratefully accepted. Killian and Xan thanked Jeri and Sean once more for stopping, before climbing into the police car.

Astonishingly, the boys were not late for school, attracting a lot of attention from arriving students and those looking out from in the main hallway as they arrived in a police car. Killian thanked the officers for a ride, and he and Xander trudged out into the rain once more. Both of them were soaked through to the skin, and Xander was shivering. Their backpacks were soaked, too, and Killian groaned. His History report had been in there, not to mention two books and his German notebook. 'I wonder if I can dry water as well as work with it,' he thought.

A couple of kids asked why the heck they'd arrived in a police car, but Xander didn't answer any of them, walking past everyone with his head down. He didn't like being the center of attention, and was probably feeling pretty uncomfortable. Killian answered briefly that they'd encountered a mugger—a close enough explanation. Then he hurried his pace to catch up with Xander.

The two boys retreated into the gym's locker rooms to collect their wits before heading back into their homerooms. Both of them had changes of clothing in their lockers, and used the towels to dry off before donning them. They were shorts and short-sleeved shirts, but it was better than their wet jeans. "We can dry them in the dryer," said Killian. "They have one somewhere." Xander only nodded moodily, and Killian quieted, choosing instead to mentally relate their adventure to Nohano and the others, all of whom were now "listening" through the link. He listened to the various expressions of anger (and absolute outrage in Nohano's case), and said that they needed to do something about this, since the cops obviously couldn't.

You want a few of us to come by and walk home with you guys? asked Demetrius. I will be off work, and I think Rashida will be also by then.

Yeah, count me in, snarled Nohano.

Suisei had a different idea, though. Maybe it would be best to pick them up in the car, he said. The less time it takes to get home...

Well don't worry about me, said Killian. I'll be off at noon. Just pick up Xan and Amaya. The bloke's not after me, anyway, he's after Xan. Aloud, he asked Xander if he was okay with being picked up; he knew that Xander did not often like being "protected", being a protector himself. He didn't like depending on another for his own safety.

"Sure," said Xander quietly. "Not like I can't fight him off, but he fights dirty."

Killian briefly grasped his hand, letting go quickly. It wouldn't do them any good if some jackass caught them with their hands clasped, half undressed in the boys' locker room, after all—people had dirty minds by nature. At least in high school.

By the time Xander and Killian were finished getting as dry and composed as they could, the bell had already rung, but Killian didn't care. If he got detention, he got detention. He'd just explain what happened.

He was surprised when he got into the homeroom classroom, and the teacher already knew what had happened. The police had apparently contacted the principal, who had in turn told Killian and Xander's homeroom teachers. He quietly asked Killian if he was all right, and Killian said that he was; just a little damp. The teacher clapped him on the back and Killian slumped down into his seat, taking in a big breath. The chill of the hard desk seats barely registered in his mind as he thought about the morning's adventures. Xan's father had gone completely insane; that was the only thing Killian could think of that made sense. Even the most possessive parent wouldn't do this to his son...would he? Killian's parents had been devoted and loving, and he'd never had to wonder if they'd ever hurt him. How could a parent do it? It wasn't something that Killian's kind heart could ever understand.

The school day dragged. His books had not been completely ruined, thanks to the plastic book covers the school issued to the students, but his History report had been so much pulp when he investigated. Luckily he was given a few extra days to redo it, but he still fumed. That report had taken him five hours to complete! Luckily his notes were stored safely on Suisei's computer. At least he didn't have to redo the research, only the typing and wording. Everything else in his backpack would be fine once it dried out.

When German class was finished, Killian was relieved that he had no homework to do except for his History report redo. He packed up his books and headed into the locker room to grab his clothing from where he had left it, hanging over a shower stall. He was minorly annoyed to see that someone had tossed it into a corner of the locker room, and figured it probably hadn't been very smart to leave them there. Xan's clothing was there too, and Killian grabbed it up, sending a brief mental note telling Xander he was bringing them home.

To his surprise, it was still raining when he stepped outside, but he wasn't upset in the least. On the contrary, the rain soothed his nerves, seeming to wash the tension out.

Later, Killian would think he should have been paying more attention, but he really did think he had nothing to fear; Doug Black was after his son, nothing more, so far as Killian knew. As he walked home, mentally conversing with Nohano about what a jerk Xan's father was and how they should take matters into their own hands, he collided with someone on the sidewalk. Startled and at once embarrassed he hadn't been watching where he was going, he backed up two hasty steps and looked up to apologize whoever it was he'd collided with. He had time to catch a glimpse of green eyes, dark brown hair, and a furious snarl. A moment's alarm, half a step back, and Doug Black's hand came out of his coat pocket.

Killian wasn't quick enough. There was no sound, except for the muffled "ping" of a high-tech pistol, the sudden sensation of being punched in the stomach. Killian screamed, staggering and sprawling on the wet sidewalk, panic blazing through his mind even as he landed. 'He shot me, oh my God he shot me, he shot me!'

Shock blotted out the pain, even the sudden, fearful mental voices of his friends. Two more pings, two more thuds, like fists in his body, and the dark-clad figure in front of him was gone, sprinting down the sidewalk and disappearing into a nearby alleyway.


	6. Torrent's Recovery

CHAPTER 6: Torrent's Recovery

At first, Killian was only hyper-aware of the sound of the rain, the smell of the wet sidewalk, and the water seeping into his hair and the back of his shirt. A cold, numb shock blanketed him, blotting out sound, thought. Then the pain hit, and the world came sharply into focus.

Killian groaned, not having the breath to scream, and clutched at the wounds in his stomach. Pain lanced into his gut, stabbed into his shoulder, and he clenched his teeth against a sob. There were voices in his head, but he couldn't concentrate on anything else then but the pain. Blood darkened Killian's gym shirt, at his stomach, his shoulder, his chest.

He had lived through and endured several battles in the last six months, but nothing had hurt him like the deep, stabbing pain he was experiencing now. After everything he had been through, how could he be killed by a normal, everyday handgun? Killian managed to roll over on his side, beginning to panic, using one hand to push himself up to his knees. Nohano! he finally managed. Nohano he shot me—I need help!

Shot you? Killian, where are you?

Killian couldn't think; the only thing he could manage was a vague sense of direction, but it seemed enough. Nohano said he and Rashida would be there in five minutes, and not to move.

Use your orb, Killian! came Rashida's voice, cutting through Nohano's hurried mental explanation to the others, and Killian's own fear. It can take the pain!

Killian's eyes widened, staring at the muddy construction site in front of him, vaguely realizing it was the same spot they'd been attacked at this morning. 'Stupid,' he thought, shifting slightly to snake his hand into the pocket of his gym shorts. 'You shoulda gone another way! There was a moment of panic as pain spiked once more, and he could not find the orb in his pocket. He suddenly remembered his other clothing, the clothing that had been soaked that morning, and numbly reached for his jeans. He was beginning to shake, feeling weak and faint, and panic threatened again. He felt Nohano's presence, trying to calm him, but Killian's mind was hazy.

Wonderful, warm relief flooded Killian as he reached into the pocket of his jeans, and his hand closed over the Torrent orb. Calm, warm waters washed through his mind, clearing it, letting him feel Nohano's concern, to feel the comfort he was trying to send.

The pain faded, and Killian looked down, startled to see that his shirt was red. Panic threatened for only a moment, but was pushed away by Torrent, keeping his mind clear, staving off the fear. He gritted his teeth and used his hand to put pressure down on the stomach wound, feeling only a vague ache beneath the soothing power of Torrent. He crouched, kneeling, on the sidewalk, and wondered why the hell no one had come.

But there was no one. It was a wet, rainy, cloudy day, and there was nothing around the construction site that anyone cared to visit. It had been only a lucky coincidence that had brought two people to their aid that morning! A wave of dizziness overcame him and panic threatened once more. What if they were too late?

The hand on his shoulder startled him, and he spun around, groaning at the sudden, aching jolt from his injuries. But his alarm melted into giddy relief on seeing Nohano and Rashida there, Nohano looking at once furious and protective, and Rashida's expression determined and concerned. How could he not have heard them? Rashida was even in her riot gear, her boots clanking on the sidewalk.

Neither of them said anything. Nohano knelt down and took Killian's hand, holding it, lending Killian his strength. Rashida closed her eyes and put her hands on the bleeding wound in Killian's stomach. "Just keep hold of the sphere," she said quietly, as green light began to glow from her hands.

Killian realized that he was crying, and had been for several minutes. He clutched the Torrent orb in one hand, and Nohano's hand in his other. He felt a awful, itching, melting sensation on the spot where he had been hit with the bullet, and was alarmed when the bullet was pushed through his skin.

"Can't keep that in there," she murmured, though Killian could feel surprise through the mind link. "Didn't know I could do that."

"Yuck," said Nohano quietly, shuddering. But he didn't let go of Killian's hand.

The healing did not take long. Rashida had gotten quite expert in her healing, "sewing" up the small bullet wounds in Killian's skin in less than five minutes. When she had finished, and the three bullets lay on the rain-darkened concrete, Nohano drew Killian into a grateful embrace.

Rashida's hand, no longer clad in its gauntlet, lay on his shoulder, and Killian could feel that she was shaking. "We should go now," she said quietly. "Before someone sees us."

Killian looked down suddenly, beginning to shake uncontrollably at the sight of his own blood, staining the sidewalk. Even diluted by the rain, it looked bright, streaming across the smooth sidewalk with the rain.

"Easy," said Nohano, helping Killian to his feet. "Don't look at it, 'Lian. Look at me, instead." Killian did, and was surprised at how much it helped, how seeing Nohano's familiar face, showing nothing but concern for him. He managed a smile, which Nohano returned, and slid an arm across his shoulders, supporting him.

Killian never realized that the trip home could be so miserably long. He wondered how much blood he had lost, and if that was why he felt so weak and faint. He still couldn't believe it; he could not believe that after the fighting he had done that summer, the odds he had faced and the enemies he had made, that he was so badly affected by a single, mortal man.

But he'd been able to prepare, before. Even when attacked in ambush, he'd been ready, he'd had time to armor up, to fight, to defend himself. This had just been—sudden! The bastard had come out of nowhere, like a specter, saying nothing—to be shot, to be shot three times and left on the sidewalk... Guns were different. Swords, laser pistols, crossbows, they could all kill a person just as easily as a gun. But those were fantastic weapons, things from stories or ancient history; even the laser pistol was a thing only the military was allowed to have. It had been so easy to adjust to those, to get into the mindset of being a warrior. Warriors didn't face handguns and bullets. Big-city police officers and gang members and criminals faced them—and used them.

Killian closed his eyes and shook his head, concentrating only on getting home.

Killian was exhausted by the time they all staggered through the doorway of their house, pooling water onto the tile in front of the front door. Nohano was still in the middle of a mind-link explanation (and convincing Xan and Amaya to stay in school until Suisei got there, fearing Xander's father might have been using the attack on Killian to lure them somehow from the school), and Rashida was urging Killian to get his wet clothes off, and to get warm and dry. Killian blinked and looked at her for a moment, and she looked back, sudden comprehension on her face.

Rashida laughed, giving Killian a brief, careful hug. "I am so glad I got there in time," she said softly. "Let's get you into the shower, yes?"

Killian could think of nothing better he'd like to do just then. He let Rashida usher him into the downstairs bathroom, and crept into the tub, letting Rashida turn on the water full blast. She turned the knob until the water was pleasantly warm, before flicking the switch to route the water through the showerhead.

"Thanks," said Killian softly, sighing and closing his eyes, lying down in the tub and letting the water fall onto him. She laughed softly and left the bathroom.

The next thing Killian knew, he was being wakened by Nohano's gentle voice next to the bathtub. Killian blinked his eyes open and looked down, very confused for a moment as to why he appeared to be lying in the bathtub. It was half full of water, and Killian saw his foot was nearly covering the drain, letting the shower-water accumulate into the basin.

He looked up at Nohano, who looked fondly amused. "Feeling okay?"

"Yeah," said Killian, sitting up and shaking the water out of his ears. The whole terrifying, horrible afternoon was swimming to his memory in fast forward, and he frowned. He looked down at his shirt, which was still streaked with red, though most of it had been washed out, and shuddered. "Gods."

"Some day, huh? Come on, you selkie," he said with a grin, making Killian blink. "It's time for supper. We went out and got Pizza Hut—not a one of us wanted much to cook."

Killian's stomach growled at the idea of pizza, and he stood, feeling a little shaky, bending carefully to shut off the shower. The tub began to drain once his foot was no longer blocking it, and Killian stepped a little unsteadily out of the bathtub. He was a little weak and shaky, but nothing like he had felt that afternoon. Lying for several hours in a basin full of warm water certainly had energized him much more just sleeping would have done.

"Selkie, huh?" he said as he stripped off his shirt and gym shorts and tossed them into a corner. "That's a new one." He dried himself off with a towel, frowning as he realized he hadn't any spare clothing. Nohano grinned and reached for the sink behind him, where he'd set Killian's bathrobe, and he smiled in appreciation. "Thanks, mate."

"Anytime."

"So what is a selkie, anyway? Sounds like some sub-species of kelp."

Nohano laughed, opening the bathroom door and leading the way out. "Not quite," he said. "A selkie is a water beast from mythology. It's basically a seal that can assume human form."

Killian gave Nohano a very strange look. "A were-seal?"

Nohano laughed. "Yeah, I guess it would kinda be like an ocean werewolf, huh? But they don't need a full moon to transform. I can see you being a wereseal." The two boys smiled at each other, and Killian felt sudden gratitude at having met Nohano. It hit him at odd times, how grateful he was for the brother he'd found in Nohano. All seven of the others were family to him, but Nohano was closest. Nohano's voice softened from teasing to affectionate, perhaps catching some of Killian's thoughts. "C'mon, brother. Let's get at that pizza before the others decimate it."

That was the best idea Killian had heard in ages.

When Killian stepped into the kitchen, he was asked by everyone there how he was feeling, and said he was feeling better but still not one hundred percent. He almost felt like crying at how nice everyone was to him. When someone in the group was sick, hurt, or scared, the rest generally made an extra effort to be nice, and it was one of the best feelings in the world. Everyone liked to be spoiled with attention now and then, especially when feeling bad.

Xander in particular was very upset at what had happened to Killian. Amaya said she'd had to nearly physically restrain him to keep him from running to Killian's aid. Knowing that Nohano and Rashida were on the way, Amaya knew it was best that she and Xander stay safely in the school. It was Xander his father was after first and foremost, after all. Killian was touched at Xander's anger, but didn't like that he was feeling guilty about it; it certainly wasn't his fault his father had lost his bloody mind!

Tarun announced that he had made Kool-Ade, and that Suisei had even let him use the stove to make Jell-O. Killian congratulated him and said that he looked forward to it for dessert. Nohano made sure that Killian ate enough, and Rashida checked him over to make sure she'd gotten everything in her healing. "This cloudy weather is making things very inconvenient for me," she grouched. "It is difficult to recharge when there is no light."

"We should get a sun light for you," said Demetrius with a grin.

"You mean a sun lamp?" corrected Suisei.

"They sound the same to me," said Demetrius, raising one white eyebrow.

"Technically, they really are," said Xander, sparking a discussion on whether a "light" and a "lamp" were really the same thing. Killian watched in rueful fascination; the things that got discussed around that table could get very surreal at times! In the end they decided that "light" and "lamp" were interchangeable for the purposes of the conversation, and things went on from there.

After supper, Tarun proudly served his strawberry Jell-O, and Killian pronounced it the best strawberry Jell-O he'd ever had. He'd never had strawberry Jell-O before, but he didn't mention that part to Tarun; instead he enjoyed the little boy's proud grin. "It was hard!" he said. "Boiling things is hard. I like microwavers better."

Several of the others chuckled in appreciation; microwaves certainly were more convenient. In fact many homes anymore didn't have a conventional oven and range; so many products could be prepared in the ultra-fast microwaves that a conventional oven was an unnecessary expense.

After dinner, the group lounged around the living room and watched a couple of movies. Killian fell asleep on the couch and had to be wakened an hour later by Nohano, who looked entirely amused. "Well no one can say you're not catching up on your rest," said Nohano.

Killian sat up and rubbed his eyes. "Guess so," he mumbled, looking around at the darkened living room. The television had been turned off, and he and Nohano were alone. "Time for bed?"

"Yeah. Xander's gonna tell them at school that you caught a nasty bug, and Amaya's gonna grab your assignments for a few days. Rashida said to tell you if you tried to go to school tomorrow, that she'd come back and Duct Tape you to your bed."

Killian began to laugh. In fact for several moments he could not stop, slumping back on the couch and letting the fear and the stress from the day come out in tired, unstoppable giggles. Nohano watched him, half grinning, and shaking his head once Killian got himself back under control. "Tell her message received," he said finally, wiping his eyes. Killian sat up and pulled his bathrobe around him, brushing his thick hair out of his eyes.

As he and Nohano headed for the attic room, Killian wondered where Xander's father was just then. He was beginning to get paranoid about the bastard, who had attacked Xander twice now, and tried to murder Killian. He hoped that they caught him soon; Killian didn't like having to worry about him any time he stepped out of the house. He wondered why Black had gone after Killian—was it because he'd thwarted the man's second attempt at kidnapping his son? Surely he'd not expected both of them to be so skilled at hand-to-hand combat. It wasn't a common skill in America. 'Great,' he thought dismally. 'Now we both have to watch our backs.'

Killian supposed that if all else failed, they could armor up and deal with the man the next time he attacked (if they had time—the cowardly bugger seemed to prefer sneak attacks). But then their cover would be blown wide open. No one knew they were the warrior group who had saved the city—in fact the general public knew very little about the entire thing. President Cavanaugh had ensured that the newspapers got as little information as possible. The only newsclips of them had been when they stepped out of the fence into the midst of that Anti-Terrorist squad after fighting Talpa.

Well, he would deal with that when it came. For now, all he wanted to do was sleep.

---

The next few days were quiet, to everyone's relief. Suisei took Amaya and Xander to school in the morning, letting Tarun take the school bus instead. His school was far enough away that he could use the school's bussing system if he wanted to, and although Suisei was a little nervous about it, Nohano pointed out that Xander's dad had never seen Tarun. "Besides, I'll wait with him at the stop," said Nohano. "I don't want any of us being alone if possible until this thing is dealt with."

That arrangement seemed to work well. Nohano enjoyed waiting with Tarun out at the stop, watching his climb aboard the bus and waving at him as he stuck his head out the window, and normally getting yelled at for it by the bus driver. He didn't have to worry nearly as much about Xander and Amaya, either, with them being driven to the high school.

Killian stayed home for three days, recovering, not even going to No Quarter practices or performances. He convinced Nohano to accompany him to the nearby stream a few times during the days, where he could find a hidden spot, armor up, and spend a couple of hours under five feet of water. That, more than anything, helped to hasten his recovery, though it made Nohano shudder.

On Friday Killian went back to school, joining Suisei's carpool, and spending the day catching up on his assignments. A little leery of walking home from school at noon, he stayed in the library until school let out, catching up on all of his homework assignments and doing a bit of studying for an upcoming English test. (His spelling had been getting a lot better. He wished all English-speaking countries would spell things the same!)

Suisei came to pick up the group in the afternoon, asking Killian how he was feeling.

"Great," said Killian sincerely. "I didn't even get tired all day. And boy am I glad. I was getting sick of lying around all over the place."

"From what Nohano said, you spent half your time lying around underwater," said Suisei, grinning.

"Hey, lying around's lying around. I just do it a little more uniquely than you guys."

Xander snorted. "Not more uniquely than Nohano. He naps in the middle of raging fires."

Killian couldn't argue!

That night, Killian joined No Quarter in their performance, not realizing how much he'd missed it all that week. It really felt good to have life back to what they considered normal.


	7. Swimming Lessons

CHAPTER 7: Swimming Lessons

On the Saturday after Killian had been shot, the group spent nearly the entire day at their secluded spot on the beach, at least two miles away from the public areas, cut off from the rest of the beach by the cliff-rocks. Killian watched Nohano enter the "sparring arena" his usual way, by climbing over the lowest of the cliff-rocks and sliding down a smooth incline onto the sand. (Killian had tried it a few times and had to admit it was fun!)

When Nohano had brushed the sand off of himself and stood up, Killian said that he wanted to begin teaching him how to swim while the others sparred.

Nohano frowned, freezing in place for a moment, his eyes flicking out to the wide expense of sea a few meters away. "I-I dunno, Killian," he said doubtfully, and Killian could feel Nohano's fear, just at the thought of getting into the water.

At first Killian wasn't entirely sure how to try and ease it, but finally he laughed, slinging an arm around Nohano's shoulders. "Oh go on, Nohano. I'm not exactly gonna start ya out with deep-sea dives. I'm gonna try and help you work through your fear, first. We won't even get into real swimming for quite a while." Nohano blinked, obviously not having expected this lighthearted response, and to Killian's satisfaction, some of the tension went out of his muscles; Killian could feel him relax.

"Well..."

"Just remember that you've got your orb with you. Your armor protects you from drowning, remember?"

Nohano stared at Killian for a minute; he obviously had not remembered, and he smiled a little. "That's right...well...okay. You'll be right there, though, right?"

Killian smiled, honored by his friend's trust. "Absolutely, mate."

"Well, okay. How...how do we start?"

That was an awfully good question! As the others began their sparring and battle practice, Killian stepped out into the shallows. The sea was unusually calm, and the day was warm, which was why he had wanted to begin the lessons then. "Well first of all, come on out here into the water." He waited patiently as Nohano froze, closed his eyes, and jerkily began walking. Seeing such a huge expense of water had to be daunting for him. "Not too far," said Killian casually. "Just, say, so it's halfway to your knees."

Nohano nodded, seeming relieved that he wouldn't have to go out deep, and did as Killian asked him to, stepping out into the water, and hesitated several moments before taking another step. Soon he was standing next to Killian, looking both very nervous and fairly proud of himself.

Killian laughed, beaming proudly at his friend. "Great! For now, I just wanna walk back and forth, a little, get you used to how water moves."

Nohano nodded, looking down at the water in fascination. Killian wondered what it was like to have that kind of phobia, to be so afraid of something that he had never experienced it before in his life. He knew that Nohano had never taken a bath, always using the shower. He'd never set foot in a swimming pool, or even a deep puddle. Not until Talpa's Palace, that was. He'd dealt with plenty of water then, though he was in full armor and quite distracted with other things, too. He needed to learn to deal with water in far friendlier environments.

Killian bit his lip briefly, remembering that horrible battle. He'd spent a good deal of mental energy trying to forget it--trying to forget the horrible, stifling feeling of being possessed by the foul Nether Spirit, of being forced to raise his weapon against Nohano, and the indescribable anguish that had overcome him when he thought he'd killed his best friend.

Shaking his head to shatter the mental images, Killian looked back up and managed to manufacture a smile. Nohano looked at him oddly, obviously seeing something had upset Killian, but didn't ask. Killian was glad; he didn't want to talk about it just then.

For the first half-hour, Killian merely walked in the shallows with Nohano, talking with him about various things, or watching the others spar, or playing word games back and forth. As they talked, he would casually suggest moving out a little further, noting that as they went on, Nohano's apprehension began fading. The monotony of walking back and forth was dulling the fear, acclimating Nohano to the water.

Finally Killian stopped, smiling, and looking down. "Look, mate." As Nohano looked, Killian projected feelings of safety and protection, assurance that Killian was right there with him and wasn't about to leave. Because they were up to their hips in the sea, and Nohano had not realized it until Killian pointed it out.

For a moment, Killian thought Nohano was going to panic. The fear spiked for just a moment, then sort of faded out, as Nohano gazed down at the sandy bottom of the beach. He curled his toes in the sand and let out a sudden, amazed laugh.

Killian grinned delightedly. "Hey, that's not too bad, is it?"

"N-no," said Nohano. His voice was shaking the slightest bit, but the same fascinated amazement was in his voice as he moved around in the water, his arms held out to his sides a little for balance. He bent slightly, running his hands lightly over the surface of the water.

"I think that's enough for now," said Killian, still grinning happily. "You're doing great, Nohano, I'm proud as hell of you!"

Nohano's dark face tinged reddish, but he gave a pleased smile. "Thanks."

"Let's get in some sparring—I haven't kicked your arse in almost a week."

Nohano blinked, then scoffed indignantly. "Ha! It's been far longer than that! And it's gonna stay that way, too!" He made as if to walk towards shore, looking a little startled when he found it was difficult to move back against the minute waves.

Killian grasped his arm and gave him a little bit of a push towards the shore. "It takes some getting used to," he said a bit ruefully. "The water laps up on the shore, then pushes back out towards the ocean. It's always easier going out into the water than coming back."

"That's the part I'm nervous about," said Nohano, laughing a little. With Killian's help, he managed to get back up onto the sand, looking a little tired, but pleased with himself.

Killian looked around at the others. Suisei was hovering in the air, target practicing two meters off the ground. Arrow after arrow struck the rocks he'd set up on the far side of the area. Tarun was sprinting around the practice area, avoiding Rashida's lightning bolt cut; after a moment Killian realized she was helping him to avoid the sort of attack Kale seemed to like to throw at the kid. He winced as Tarun yelled, sprawling in the sand, but he didn't seem hurt. He was more irritated than anything at having gotten hit, and he got right back up to try again. Even Tarun wasn't faster than lightning.

Amaya and Demetrius were sparring, and Xander was chucking energy spears, javelin-style, at a target someone had crudely painted on the rock with what looked like chalk. For a moment, Killian was fascinated, watching the energy weapons hitting the target, exploding in a white shimmer of light, and disappearing, leaving chunks in the rock. Every once in a while, Demetrius would pause in his sparring, walk over, and repair the rock.

"I didn't know you could to that!" exclaimed Nohano, obviously having watched the same thing.

Demetrius smiled as he walked over to them, taking a bit of a break. "I did not know, either," he said. "I tried it one day on..." He paused, frowned, and supplied the word through the mind link. I tried it on impulse one day and it worked. When we were imprisoned in Talpa's palace, I had discovered I can gouge chunks out. It made sense that I could repair it, too.

"That's neat," said Nohano with a laugh. "Hey—I wondered something. You said your eyes are really sensitive to light, didn't you?" Demetrius nodded, cocking his head curiously; he was wearing a pair of sunglasses, as he usually did when they were out in the bright sunshine. "All this flashing, and the colors of the armors when they glow—does that bother them?"

"No," said Demetrius, laughing a little bit. "I was surprised. When first we began to know what our armor can do, I thought it would be difficult, to always have to close my eyes, or to shield them. But it does not hurt them." He squinted upwards for a very brief moment, then looked back down. "The sun, it does hurt my eyes. But when I am fighting, a color visor comes down from my helmet. These armors, they know when their bearer needs the protection."

Killian thought about that for a few moments, realizing that Demetrius was right. The armor DID know when they needed a certain kind of protection! In the desert, Torrent had covered his face with a mask, keeping out the sand and shielding him from the worst of the blazing sun and nighttime chill. When Nohano crawled into fire, his riot gear always coalesced around him so he didn't get burned. "You think they're sentient?" he finally asked.

"In a way," said Demetrius. "They have a spirit. I know this for sure. They do not have sentience like a person. But there is awareness."

Nohano and Demetrius talked for a few moments more before Demetrius returned to his sparring partner, and Killian thought about his armor being sentient. It seemed very strange to him, but in a way it also made perfect sense. And why not? They were magical items, items with spirits and unique abilities and traits.

Tarun sprinted past him, breaking his reverie, and a moment later Killian was diving to the ground to avoid the lightning attack Tarun was currently dodging. "Crikey, watch it!!" he exclaimed, feeling his heart rate speed up a few RPMs. "I'm not in armor yet!"

"Sorry," called Rashida. I wasn't paying attention. You really should be in your riot gear at least, though, right in the middle of us all.

She had a point. "Well, let's spar then," said Killian, giving Nohano a grin.

They spent the rest of the day practicing, and Killian decided not to push Nohano any further with the water that day. He'd done great, and he didn't want to jeopardize any progress that might have been made by trying to rush him.

Over the next week, Killian began coaxing Nohano farther and farther into the surf, even getting him out to his chest on one very calm day. He didn't know if Nohano's fear would ever completely leave, but he did know his friend was doing one ripper of a job in fighting it!

On the third day, Killian got Nohano sitting down in the shallows, the water a little past his waist, and even enjoying the swaying back and forth. Nohano said in a deadpan voice that aside from the crushing, suffocating waves of deadly water, it was a little like swinging in his hammock. Killian had laughed long over that, once he'd made sure that Nohano was not being too serious.

From sitting in the surf, Killian progressed to splash wars, careful not to get too exuberant, but challenging Nohano to do his worst. (Nohano splashed himself more than Killian splashed him.) At first this had spooked Nohano, because the water got onto his face, and sometimes up his nose. But once he'd adjusted a little to the feeling, Killian pointing out that it wasn't too different than a shower running over his head, Nohano managed to even enjoy the games.

By the next Saturday, Killian had decided it was time for Nohano to go underwater. As he expected, Nohano had balked, and Killian wasn't about to push the issue. But he'd gotten clever in how he coaxed his friend to do new things. He was never hurtful or insulting, but he would tease Nohano about getting him one of those old-fashioned diving helmets for him to practice in, or suggest he try it in full armor. (Despite the protection it offered, the idea of wearing heavy steel into the sea intimidated Nohano far too much.)

As afternoon blazed onto the beach, unseasonably hot, Nohano finally agreed. Killian grinned at him, leading his friend into the surf until the water was at about face level. "Now first," he said, "Just bend over towards the water. Get your face close, but don't touch it. Get so you can feel the cool air above the water, and smell the salt. Get used to being up close and intimate."

Obviously Xander (in one of his uncommon impish moods) had overheard that comment, and asked mentally just what Killian did when he wanted to "get intimate" with the water. Nohano laughed in surprise, recoiling a bit as he splashed water up into his face, and Killian felt his face heat up. He glared over at Xander, who was grinning at him in an entirely self-satisfied way.

"Pervert!" Killian accused. He supposed it was his own fault for using "bend over" and "intimate" in the same paragraph.

"You'd know!"

Killian's face got hotter, and he gave Xan a rude hand-gesture. Of course the implied meaning of the gesture only spurred Xander to make another gutter comment, and Killian sighed, rolling his eyes up and finally laughing. "Miserable wanker," he muttered.

"You shoulda known better," said Nohano with a chuckle.

"Yeah, I really shoulda! All right. As I was saying... When you go under water all you really have to do is hold your breath. Let's see you do it—hold your breath, I mean. As long as you can. Don't even go under yet." He watched as Nohano took in a large lungful of air, clamping his lips shut, and began counting approximate seconds. He really needed to get some kind of waterproof watch.

Nohano did not have a lot of stamina when it came to holding his breath; he had never had to do it. After about twenty seconds, he let the air out in a rush, gasping in a second lungful and wincing a little. "What a lousy feeling."

"That's not too bad, really, for someone who's never swum," said Killian encouragingly. "And it's something you can practice. Play kabaddi with Tarun more often, you'll get plenty of practice then." Nohano laughed a little; parts of kabaddi had to be played all in one breath, requiring a lot of breath control.

It took quite a while for Nohano to be able to convince himself to put his head under water. So far as he was concerned, it was as bad as baring his neck to Talpa's warlords or standing at the edge of a crumbling cliff. Killian didn't really blame him. To Nohano, the sea was his enemy, and putting himself at its mercy, even a little bit, couldn't be easy.

Nohano finally glared at the water, clenching his teeth, and squeezing his eyes shut. Quickly, as if he'd lose his nerve if he hesitated, Nohano plunged his head into the water, jerking back upright almost immediately, a look of barely-contained fear on his face. Killian watched carefully in case Nohano panicked, but he didn't; the fear faded as soon as the hot sun his Nohano's face, and he shakily swiped his wet hair out of his eyes. Killian grinned. "Fantastic," he said quietly.

Ducking his head seemed to be the biggest obstacle in Nohano's way. Once he discovered he could do it and not be harmed, that the whole situation was entirely under Nohano's own control, it was as if he'd pushed himself beyond an impossible mountain. Smiling in fascination, Nohano bit his lip, held his breath, and ducked his under again. This time he stayed under for a few moments, and Killian ducked under as well, watching Nohano's eyes move back and forth looking at how the world looked. Killian grinned at him through the water, and both boys surfaced again. It was almost like watching a baby begin to walk, discovering a huge world opening up now that he wasn't restrained to mere snail's crawling.

Nohano progressed farther in the next couple of hours than Killian had ever expected. Twice he dashed back to shore, a little unnerved and needing a break from the water, but otherwise he stayed in the shallows, even letting Killian begin to teach him a few basic swim strokes.

Killian ran Nohano through floating, front and back, and doggy paddling. When he hesitantly suggested a few underwater swim strokes and Nohano agreed, Killian knew that his friend was going to be just fine. The fear might never fade completely, but the terror was gone and likely for good. And when he watched Nohano cautiously walk about ten yards away and nervously duck into the water, Killian couldn't have been more proud of him. He watched Nohano through the clear water, his dark form moving awkwardly in the water, trying out the basic breast stroke Killian had shown him.

Kick your feet, mate. It was something Nohano was having a great deal of difficulty in coordinating. He could play three different percussion instruments at once and sing simultaneously, but he had trouble kicking his feet and moving his arms at the same time.

Nohano did so, making his movements even choppier, but speeding up his progress significantly, and when he reached Killian and rose, sputtering out of the water, he looked ecstatic. "I did it!" Nohano exclaimed.

"Good on ya!" Killian laughed, hugging Nohano and beaming proudly. "Fantastic! I knew you'd be able to do it."

Nohano's face darkened, but he was still smiling, and he glanced back at the shore. Everyone had stopped what they were doing to watch, and Nohano blushed more deeply.

I'm proud of you, my brother, said Killian, able to convey his feelings far better that way. Very proud.

Nohano turned to him but didn't say anything. He didn't have to, really. Killian knew him well enough to know how much Nohano appreciated it. The two boys made their way back to shore, to the congratulations and praise of their friends. Tarun said delightedly that soon he'd be able to challenge Nohano to splash wars, and they could play Marco Polo. Amaya said she was proud, also, and Xander said the same in his casual, teasing way.

Anyone else coming on the scene might have felt it was a little much, making such a fuss over a teenager learning a few simple swim strokes, but then most people seemed to have the compassion of a viper. Even if they understood how much courage it had taken Nohano to step into the sea at all, much less go underwater, they would have only felt contempt at the fear. 'The world needs more people like us,' Killian thought immodestly, grinning.

Nohano had had quite enough of the sea for one day, and Killian didn't blame him. The last hour they spent on the beach in their subarmor, practicing hand-to-hand combat.

That evening as they all headed towards their home, Nohano couldn't stop talking about his conquest, and how strange it was underwater. He didn't so much mind the wavery vision (though at first Killian was baffled; his vision never blurred underwater, and it had never occurred to him that most people's did), or how weird it had felt to feel the water soaking into his hair and covering his skin. But Nohano hated how the sound distorted. It made him dizzy, which he didn't like. Still, the overall experience had been positive, which was an excellent sign. Killian vowed to set aside an hour of each shoreline training day with swimming lessons.

For that matter, it was a good idea for everyone. He knew that the others knew at least how to doggy paddle (though Tarun knew little more than that), but the better one could swim, the least danger he was in on the water. Killian was easily the best and strongest swimmer there, and found he liked to teach. 'Yep. Definitely some swimming lessons in order!'


	8. Dreamtime Warnings

CHAPTER 8: Dreamtime Warnings

Nohano never thought he could have made himself enter the water—not ever in his life. Even with Killian there, he never thought he would, even as much as he trusted him. But once he was confronted with it, it wasn't nearly so bad as he thought it could have been. It didn't make any sense to him, that facing the real thing was not as bad as anticipating facing the real thing, but it was true.

Not to say he wasn't petrified. That first step into the surf had taken every ounce of resolve he had. The water had washed over his feet, making him shake, and he couldn't help but look over the ocean, to look at all that water, to imagine it crashing down on him...

But once he was in the water, oddly, it hadn't been so bad. He didn't like much how it moved, but he was able to contend with it. In fact, as they talked, moving back and forth in the shallows, it had gotten kind of boring! Once a thing gets boring, it's far harder to be afraid of it.

Nohano was proud of himself, though. He might not like the water, but he liked feeling that he'd accomplished something, conquered some of his fear. Going underwater had been the hard part. He knew Killian had intuited how he felt about it, making himself vulnerable to the enemy. But even that hadn't been totally horrible. It was threatening and alien, but he could contend with it. And any time he wanted, he could simply stand up and be out of the water. Once he realized that, the whole thing was a lot easier to take.

On Sunday, Killian gave him another swimming lesson, mostly a review of everything he'd taught Nohano the previous day. Nohano was not quite so nervous, and his swimming motions became a little smoother. After their practice session, he also mentioned teaching the others, and they thought it was a good idea. "Might as well not give the enemy any more advantages than they already have," said Xander sourly.

"Which enemy?" asked Killian.

Xander laughed, though there wasn't a lot of humor in it. "All of 'em. Including my dad."

Demetrius frowned suddenly, as if a mildly unpleasant idea had occurred to him. "We might have made a mistake to not take Killian to a hospital."

Rashida frowned, taking off her helmet and swiping her sweat-damp hair from her eyes. "Why?"

Demetrius also removed his helmet, looking concernedly at Killian. "No one knows that Xan's father tried to kill Killian," he said carefully, glancing sidelong at Xan. "The police do not know."

Killian smacked his hand to his forehead. "Crikey, Demetrius's right. They think he just tried to grab Xan—but he tried to kill someone. That makes him a lot more dangerous. We shoulda just...I dunno, let an ambulance come, and told the cops the story."

"I am not sure I could have done that," said Rashida, banishing her armor, and then her subarmor. "I hate to see another in pain."

"You coulda healed it afterwards," suggested Killian.

"Yeah, and what happens when they want to see the scar, or somehow notice it's healed long before it should have?" asked Xander, his tone scornful. "They'd be suspicious at the very least. And we sure as hell can't tell them how we did it."

Killian looked a little taken aback at Xander's tone, but he only shrugged. "I guess you're right," he said. "Still it mighta made things more difficult."

Nohano peered at Xander for several moments, and noted that his expression was more unhappy than anything. It couldn't be easy for him, talking about his father, who had tried to murder Xander's friend. Hey, he sent privately to Killian. Easy on the talk about his dad, willya?

Killian blushed suddenly, a look of dismay coming over his features. Damn. I didn't even think. I'll change the subject. Nohano smiled, and Killian banished his armor. "What's done is done," he said. "No biggie, really. Let's head back to the house for lunch; I'm starving."

"Me too," agreed Rashida. She brought snacks for when they practiced for hours on end, but it wasn't as nutritious as a meal.

"You're always starving," teased Demetrius.

Rashida only grinned at him and shrugged. She was hypoglycemic, and had to eat more often than most people, especially with how active she was; she burned off any energy she got from her food. Nohano wondered why things happened like that sometimes, why a person would be born with something that didn't work right. It wasn't like a machine that was man-made, with defects and imperfect parts! The idea of a malfunctioning body didn't make sense.

After lunch, Killian and Nohano left for a practice session with No Quarter. As always since Killian had been shot, they kept up mental contact with the others until they arrived, and kept an eye out for trouble on the way. Apparently it paid to be paranoid, and if it saved them from another attack, Nohano was all for it. They arrived without any hassles.

Nohano was distracted during practice, though only Killian really noticed it. Nohano usually loved practice, and enjoyed visiting his friends, but that day he mostly stared off into space between songs, earning him a lot of teasing from the guys. He took it well enough, but Killian could tell something was wrong.

He asked about it on the way home.

Nohano sighed. "I'm still getting those weird dreams. Had another one last night. I think there's something wrong, but I don't know what."

"Oh—about the other Ronin, you mean?" Nohano nodded. "You think they're in trouble, or something?"

Nohano stopped walking, frustration making him clench his fists. "I don't know—that's just the thing! What could make trouble for someone who's already dead? Who could threaten a spirit?"

Killian shrugged. "Another spirit, maybe?"

Nohano stared at him, then resumed walking, feeling stunned. It was so simple—he knew that spirits could interact with one another, and even with the living. Surely a malevolent spirit could be a threat!

"Armor up later and try to contact Ryo," said Killian. "You might get all your answers that way!"

Again, Nohano stopped, smacking his forehead. "Guess this is my day for not seeing the obvious," he grumbled.

Killian laughed and slung an arm around his shoulders. "Ah, that's all right, mate. That's what I'm here for. An external brain unit." Nohano sputtered laughter and shook his head, but put his arm around Killian's shoulders. "That's what brothers are for, anyway," Killian continued as they walked. "To remind their brothers how inadequate they are."

This time Nohano's sputtering was indignation, and Killian broke away from him, laughing. Nohano chased him down the remaining two blocks to the house, and didn't stop when they reached it! They burst through the door, and Nohano finally tackled Killian in the middle of the living room, badly startling nearly everyone else. A furious bout of roughhousing ensued, which Nohano thought he won. It was difficult to really tell, since they were both laughing too hard to keep score.

Panting for breath, Nohano stood up, grinning at the sight of Rashida, Demetrius, Amaya, and Suisei standing up in the living room, staring at him and Killian as if they'd gone insane. One brief explanation later, they laughed, too.

"So where's Tarun and Xander?" asked Killian, brushing his disheveled hair from his face and standing up.

"Out back," said Amaya. "Tarun is teaching him kabaddi."

"That kid loves that game," said Suisei with a chuckle. "He talks about it all the time."

Boy, did Nohano know that! Especially after a practice day. "It's definitely his kind of sport,' said Nohano with a laugh. "It is fun. Anyway, whose turn is it for supper?" The Ronin generally took turns making supper, and they were all fairly good at it.

"Mine," said Rashida. "It is about time to start it, I think." She disappeared into the kitchen, and Nohano stood up as well. "I'm gonna go take a shower," he said. "I need it after practicing all morning, then rehearsing all afternoon. See you guys in a few."

Nohano did want to take a shower, but it was more than that; he wanted to talk to Ryo. If he really was in trouble, Nohano had to do something to help—though what he could do he didn't know. Nohano was no spirit, and he had no idea how much effect he could have on them!

He took his shower quickly and dried off, slipping into a clean pair of jeans and a long-sleeved T-Shirt. Then he slipped quietly downstairs, where their indoor practice room was, and shut the door; he didn't want anyone else around when he did this, though he didn't know why.

He called upon the rekka armor, standing still as it materialized on his body, and then he sat down on the floor. He supposed that it was meditating that he did, sitting quietly and concentrating, though it always felt weird to call it that. He closed his eyes and focused on Ryo's image, mentally calling his name.

Normally when Nohano contacted Ryo, he was there within five minutes. Ryo was always willing to talk with Nohano, whether it was to help him with a problem, or just to chat. Nohano and Ryo had become good friends over the weeks, and Nohano wished several times that he could have met him in person. He'd even asked Ryo always appeared as a youth, and Ryo had chuckled. "I am a youth, Nohano," he said. "We are spirit. Our forms take the essence of our spirit—as we are young in spirit, we are young in appearance."

It had even made sense! It sparked an interesting conversation about what Nohano's spirit form would look like when he died. Impishly, Ryo had described something that sounded like it should be in an ancient, Grade-B horror movie, or a book from Lovecraft.

Nohano smiled as he sat, remembering that conversation, and focused once more on capturing Ryo's image. But there was something wrong. The more he tried, the more he felt the connection to rekka, the more he realized that Ryo's essence was not there. Ryo's spirit still had a connection to his armor, and having bonded to it himself, Nohano understood why. But as the minutes ticked by, and Nohano's friendly visage did not appear, Nohano began to worry. Could a spirit be killed? Vanquished?

He wasn't counting the minutes, but he knew at least a half an hour must have gone by. Nohano finally opened his eyes and stood up, anxiety gnawing at his insides. "The others," he muttered. "I'll ask the others."

Rashida's voice startled him as he opened the basement door. She was calling everyone in for dinner, and the smells wafting through the house made Nohano's stomach growl. Realizing he was still in armor, he quietly banished it and joined the rest at the dinner table.

As they ate, Nohano quickly told his friends about the dreams he had been having, and how he had tried to contact Ryo. "I'd like you guys to try after supper," said Nohano. "The ones who have the original armors...se...see if you can contact the others."

"And if we can't?" asked Killian, frowning.

That was an excellent question, and Nohano did not answer right away. What if they couldn't contact them? What would they do then? "I don't know," said Ryo. "I wish my dreams were more...clear! I don't know what we can do to help. Maybe call Yasuo...and see what he can find out. He's a mystic, and he can contact his ancestor, Shuten. He might be able to find out more than we can."

Once he'd made the suggestion, Nohano felt a little calmer. At least they weren't without options.

He was not quite as calm later that night, after learning that none of them could contact their predecessors. "We'll call Yasuo tomorrow," said Rashida quietly. "That's all we can do at this point."

Nohano called Yasuo the next morning, telling him of the situation and getting a promise that Yasuo would check into it as far as he was able. But Nohano had a bad feeling about the whole thing. When Yasuo called back late that night and said that the original Ronin had not been seen in the spirit realm, Nohano knew it was bad.

The problem was, no one knew exactly what the problem was, much less how they could solve it. Nohano became more and more certain that Ryo and his friends were prisoners somewhere, and wondered if Talpa could imprison a spirit. He was a demon, not a spirit, but Nohano had to admit he had no idea what the difference was. Was a demon an evil spirit? No, because he could physically manifest in the real world, if Amaya's grandmother was correct. Spirits couldn't do that, could they? Was he close enough to one that he could affect a spirit? Could he somehow use his Nether Spirits?

For a moment, Nohano thought he might have stumbled on the answer, but then he wondered why Talpa had never used the spirits before on the original Ronin. Before Nohano's group had come along, certainly Talpa would have wanted to exact his revenge on Ryo, wouldn't he, even after Ryo's death?

Even Rashida was not able to figure the puzzle out, and she was the cleverest among them. She had spent hours in the library at the college, looking up ancient legends and myths about spirit worlds and demons. She was studying archeology, and the library was an excellent resource for these kinds of stories, but it gave them no clue as to what Talpa had done. She had even found legends on the Ronin, and of Talpa, but it was nothing more than they already knew. Even in ancient Japan, when Talpa had first shown his ugly face, no one knew where he came from. And Talpa obviously was not saying.

Nohano kept regular contact with Yasuo, who had spoken to his ancestor, even the one called Kaos, the Ancient One. The Ancient One thought that Talpa might be responsible, but could not be sure; even he could not access the Nether Realm, but there were ways that Talpa could have taken them.

As April began, things were complicated tenfold—Yasuo went missing.


	9. Loyalty's Battle

CHAPTER 9: Loyalty's Battle

All of Japan had been on yellow alert since September, when news of the Dynasty's attack on America had reached the ears of the government. Security had been tightened everywhere, and people had been told what to watch out for, should the Dynasty attack there. It had sparked a lot of false alarms, especially when the weather turned nasty, but false alarms were better than perhaps being taken by surprise.

Yasuo Toshitada was not affected by these new security measures, living far from the main cities. Even as crowded as Japan had come, there were still areas of the wild, and Yasuo was fortunate enough to own a bit of land outside the city of Toyama itself, the city where the Dynasty attacks had taken place one hunderd years ago. But he did make sure to keep up on all latest news from the cities, wanting to know in advance of any Dynasty activity.

He kept in contact with his young friends in America, who had become a new generation of Ronin. It was strange to see the Ronin again, warriors that for Yasuo had been only legend. He remembered when his ancestor had come to him in his dreams, had told him he was to gather the Ronin to rise up against the Dynasty once more. And, he was told later, Yasuo himself might be called into battle as well.

The idea frightened Yasuo; any warrior who did not fear battle was a fool. But he would gladly fight the Dynasty a hundred times over if it was necessary. He possessed the armor of Loyalty, armor once borne by one of Talpa's warlords, and had learned to fight since childhood. It was one of his earliest memories, being taken to meet his sensei, barely able to contain his excitement. He had been so eager he'd almost forgotten to bow, which would have been a grave insult to the honored teacher.

And now...

The weather in Japan had been overcast, keeping both government and populace nervous and tense. But Yasuo knew perhaps better than any of them what to look for, and he had not become nervous until the skies had turned green.

Tokyo had first noticed the green tinge, normally a sign of very bad weather. But no storms had raged, nor come in from the bay. That almost certainly meant that the Dynasty had come to Japan...but for some reason was not attacking the cities. The skies above Tokyo had cleared after a few days, leaving everyone waiting for the other shoe to fall.

Several big cities in Japan reported greenish skies and quick-moving clouds, but neither hide nor hair was seen of the Dynasty, and Yasuo began to wonder what they were doing. They did not think to attack, and Yasuo could not help remembering the tales the Ronin had told, of how before they even knew they were Ronin, the warlords had sought them out, hoping to destroy them before they were a threat. But what could they be looking for in Japan? Surely they did not think more Ronin yet existed!

When Toyama's skies clouded over one day in March, Yasuo decided that he would go into the city to investigate. Retreating into his house, he made his way into the basement to retrieve the armor orb that called Loyalty's sub-armor. Stowing this safely in his pocket, Yasuo went outside, peering nervously at the sky. It was darker than ever, and it was only noon; the skies should have been bright with afternoon sunlight. Glancing once around the fields that surrounded his home, Yasuo ducked into his small automobile, sliding into the driver's seat and placing the key-chip into the ignition. Cold lanced into his chest when he turned the key-chip and the engine did not even try to turn over. In all the previous days, no one had ever reported power failures of any kind.

Sudden instinct made Yasuo retreat from his car, leaving the key-chip behind, grasping the power orb in his pocket and holding it tightly in his hand. A quick moment of concentration, and Yasuo's slim body was covered in Mediterranean blue subgear, and he was ready to call his full armor at any time. He suddenly knew that what the Dynasty was looking for was him. The Ronin had warned him it might happen, and he was ready for it.

The attack was sudden and vicious. Three of them came from the woods, three warlords in full battle armor, Talpa's highest ranking warriors. Yasuo leapt back away from them, calling out for his own armor, feeling the reassuring weight of Loyalty settling on his subgear before he landed lightly on the hard-packed earth. As the three warlords squared off to face him, Yasuo from his back his weapon; it was a ninja weapon called a kusari kama, a bladed weight on the end of a chain, fastened to the handle of a wicked scythe.

"So," snarled one of the warlords, the one known as Sekhmet. "You are familiar with the Cruelty armor!"

Yasuo narrowed his eyes, peering at his enemies from behind a red mask. "You know as well as I that this armor no longer aligns with Cruelty! It is now Loyalty!"

"Perhaps now," said Kale, the second of the warlords. "But it will soon be reminded of its true self!"

"Once you're out master's prisoner in the Nether Realm," added Sekhmet. "He's extended you an invitation to his palace!"

'So that's it,' thought Yasuo, fear clenching in his stomach. 'They want the armor.' He tensed as the three of them raised their weapons in unison, as if obeying a silent command, and attacked.

The fear left Yasuo in a wash of adrenaline and the calm calculation of years of battle training, his hands working almost on their own to wield his weapon, parrying a thrust from Kale's nodachi, knocking aside a lunge from Sekhmet's katana. When the third warlord, Dais, hurled the scythe blades of his weapon, Yasuo rolled away from the white strands of web that shot from the blades, seeking to bind him where he stood.

Yasuo was fifty-five years old, and it showed on his face only; his body was slim but powerful, his agility that of a teenage boy, and his strength that of a man thirty years younger. He wielded the kusari kama with ease, its weight nearly nothing in his strong hands. He fought with the ferocity of a warrior in his prime, lashing out with his blade, flinging the bladed weight at his enemies.

The warlords fought well, but even they were surprised by the older man's skill and strength. Their weapons glanced off of the Loyalty armor, never landing a solid hit, while they themselves had to constantly dodge Yasuo's furious lunges, duck to avoid the lethal spiked ball smashing into their heads and bodies. Metal clanged against metal, the woods ringing with the din of their fight.

Yasuo did not like to fight; his heart lay with peace and kindness, but he knew that to achieve those, it was sometimes necessary to fight. He could tell he had taken his attackers by surprise, but did not let it lull him into putting his guard down, even for a moment. Talpa's generals would not hesitate to attack him from behind, taking advantage of the slightest hesitation. He snarled, reeling from a savage hit from a spiked ball, flung by Dais at his head. Yasuo's helmet was knocked askew, and he ducked behind his car, taking only a second to fling the helmet from his head, having no time to re-settle it properly.

Kale flew at him from above, leaping over Yasuo's car, his booted feet aiming for Yasuo's head. Yasuo ducked down, rolling away and bringing the scythe blade up to block Kale's nodachi, scrambling to his feet as Kale brought the blade back for another attack. Sekhmet ran at Yasuo from his right, with Dais behind him, and he was suddenly surrounded.

Yasuo leapt straight up like a coiled spring, his feet only just clearing two of Sekhmet's blades, his booted foot kicking aside Kale's nodachi. Yasuo landed mere meters away from the warlords, spinning to face them, hurling the bladed weight at Dais's face. Fear was beginning to break through the adrenaline; they were tiring, but so was he, and he was outnumbered by three very skilled opponents. Even with his years of weapons and hand-to-hand training, these warlords had lived for hundreds of years. No mortal could come close to approaching their experience.

Sekhmet lunged, hurling two of his katana at Yasuo's head, his hands moving like lightning to draw two more swords from his arsenal and thrusting them at Yasuo's torso. Yasuo ducked the first attack, only barely parrying his second. Something hit him from behind and he lurched forward, breaking into a quick front roll, dodging Dais's bladed bashigo, a ladder-fan of scythe blades. He was caught on his back when the first strands encircled him, and he slashed at them with his own scythe; moments later his hand was struck hard, the kusari kama flying from Yasuo's grasp to land in the grass out of his reach. He clenched his teeth as the webs from Dais's weapons banded around him, almost too quick to see, binding him fast to the ground.

Yasuo felt his heart beating fast, heard his breath rasping quickly in his chest. He looked up at Dais's arachnid mask, saw the blue eye narrowed in satisfaction. Sekhmet and Dais approached, looking down at their prisoner, and all of them were breathing harder than normal. "You fight well," said Kale, his tone that of respect for a strong adversary. "But you will be presented to our master."

Yasuo narrowed his eyes, swallowing the fear that threatened to spread from his stomach to his throat. "My armor will do him little good alone, warlord."

At this, Kale chuckled, his smile sending a chill down Yasuo's back. "We have only your armor now," he said, "as well as the armor we three bear. The Ronin will be our guests again soon enough. You see, besides you, we have a few other...guests in the Nether Realm. I expect you'll meet them soon. The Ronin have plenty of reason to come right to us."

Yasuo could not reply, seized with worry for his young friends. Who could the Dynasty have as their prisoners that would make them risk Talpa's realm once more to rescue them? Their families? Had they found their loved ones, despite the precautions Yasuo had taken to hide them?

He hissed in pain as Dais reached down and yanked Yasuo to his feet; Yasuo had the leisure to notice the injuries he'd taken in the fight. Nothing major, but they certainly got his attention. "Get the helmet," said Dais, nodding at the ground, and Sekhmet bent down to retrieve it, grabbing also Yasuo's scythe.

"It's strange to see this armor in use again," Sekhmet murmured, looking first at the helmet, and then at Yasuo himself. Yasuo's hair was red, as was his ancestor's, a trait that was common in his family tree. "He could almost be Shuten himself."

"You honor me," said Yasuo, lifting his chin.

Sekhmet only nodded his head slightly, his expression unreadable behind his mask. "Come on," said Kale. "We must get him into the Nether Realm." He grasped Yasuo's arm, above where the webs bound him, and Dais grasped the other. There was a sickening flash of lightning, and a horrible feeling Yasuo had never before experienced. There was blackness for less than a second, barely discernible to his eyes, and the brief image of a huge, red gate. Despite himself, Yasuo felt his skin go cold, and knew he was as white as a sheet. The Nether Realm.

Yasuo was forced through the gate, teleporting once again once they were through, brought into a chamber of wooden walls and floor, lit by white candles with dim, blue flames. But he hardly noticed his surroundings. There stood before him a man in armor—though he realized almost immediately that it was not a man who stood before him. A lurid, red mask covered the front of his helm, his iron-gray armor glinting dully in the bluish light. He recognized him from illustrations in books, from the ancient newsclips from the turn of the century. It was Arago.

---

Sekhmet stood with his brothers-in-arms, flanking the prisoner as they presented him to Talpa. Dais and Kale gripped the man's arms, and as Talpa peered on them all, they forced Yasuo Toshitada to kneel before Arago. It wasn't entirely easy, either, for Toshitada did not want to kneel to his enemy. Sekhmet gave him a swift kick to the back of the knee, and bound as he was, Yasuo was not able to keep his balance, falling hard to the wooden floor. As Sekhmet saluted Talpa, he was struck again how much Toshitada looked like Shuten had, and how in the Cruelty armor he could almost be Shuten. A dizzying bout of deja-vu came over him.

"Well done," said Talpa approvingly. "Finally, the Cruelty armor is back in my possession."

"It'll do you no good," snarled Yasuo. "You'll be overthrown as has happened countless times in the past!"

Sekhmet growled at this disrespect to his master, and stepped forward, striking Yasuo alongside the head from behind. Yasuo hissed, but did not cry out as the metal of Sekhmet's gauntlet connected with his head. "Watch your tongue, wretch," he hissed.

"It's all right, Sekhmet," chuckled Talpa, looking amusedly at where Yasuo knelt. "He will find very soon that he is wrong. Take him below to meet his prisonmates. Once he sees them, he may just change his opinion."

For a moment, Sekhmet thought that Toshitada was going to fight, but in the end, he went quietly; certainly he saw the futility of fighting within Talpa's own realm. Still, Sekhmet stayed behind the three of them, in case the man tried anything. The old man was not one to be trifled with; he had proven that quite well.

Yasuo was taken down several flights of narrow stairs, leading into the depths of the dungeons below Talpa's palace. Yasuo was quiet, only looking around him as he was half-dragged down the stairs, perhaps trying to memorize as much of his surrounding s as he could. Sekhmet chuckled slightly. He thinks he will get a chance to escape, he said quietly through the mind link the three of them had formed months ago.

I think he does, agreed Dais. But he will not. I look forward to his reaction on seeing the Ronin.

Do you think he'll recognize them?

Both Dais and Kale looked back briefly at him, and Sekhmet felt himself blush; of course Toshitada would recognize the Ronin. He had studied the legends for years, probably his whole life. Sekhmet shrugged sheepishly.

When the last flight of stairs had been descended, the four men stood before a plain set of iron doors. Sekhmet stepped in front of the others to open them up, standing back to give the others room to bring the prisoner in.

The doors gave on a dreary, dark chamber, lit only by a single torch, mystical blue flames casting unnatural shadows onto the walls. Shackles lined the walls, and five sets of them were occupied, wrapped around the wrists of five teenaged boys. All of them slumped in their bonds, exhausted, having endured by that time weeks of frequent abuse and outright torment.

Yasuo stopped and stared, his eyes wide, his expression that of astonishment. Ryo opened his eyes, roused by the opening of the doors, and his blue eyes widened in disbelief. "Sh-Shuten?" Sekhmet had not been the only one to notice the similarities.

"It can't be," whispered Yasuo, staring at the five boys. One or two of the others had also roused, looking less alert than Ryo, and Rowen asked wearily what was going on.

"You see," said Kale quietly to Yasuo, as he and Dais forcefully led Yasuo over to stand before the Ronin, "We hold the Ronin themselves prisoner. Pure spirits, all five of them, but here in this realm they are solid, they can be contained."

"And hurt," added Sekhmet with an unpleasant smile, drawing one of his katana from his back.

He brought the weapon down in a quick slash across Kento's chest, and the boy let a cry of surprised pain, waking suddenly from his half-conscious state. Blood soaked into his shirt, which was torn and filthy. "Bastard!" Kento spat, his speech half slurred from sleep, but the fury in his wide eyes was bright and strong.

Sekhmet only laughed, speaking still to Yasuo. "Death is only a passageway into another state of being. Spirits can be hurt, just like humans can."

Yasuo seemed unable to speak, as Kale slammed him roughly against the wall, and Dais dissipated the webs binding his arms to his body. The three warlords did not give Yasuo a chance to fight, snapping shackles around his wrists and retreating from the astonished mystic.

"Enjoy," said Kale with a smirk, turning his back on the prisoners and leaving the room. Dais and Sekhmet followed, closing the door behind.


	10. Kale's Message

CHAPTER 10: Kale's Message

As April seared over the country, a record-breaking heat wave scorched all of California. Spring break was over with, and no one felt like going to school or work. All of the Ronin had been trying for several days to gain information on Yasuo's fate, and the fate of Ryo Sanada's Ronin. Nohano was getting more and more frustrated, and his sour mood seemed to be spreading.

Tarun so far had been immune to it, but he didn't like seeing the others feeling so miserable about it. Not that Tarun wasn't worried about Yasuo and the other Ronin, even though he'd never met any of the Ronin. But he was no help in figuring out the riddle—less help than the others, for that matter. Tarun did not know much about spirit realms or demons, and hadn't the resources to find out.

It often happened that way. Most of the time Tarun didn't worry about it, and only helped when he could. But sometimes he would wonder why he had been chosen to join this elite group of fighters. Even in battle it seemed he had to be saved more often than he was able to fight his own battles. On the odd times when his optimism faded a little, he would brood about it. It was a horrible thing to feel useless.

The heat wave didn't help matters. It was the hottest spring in California ever, and most of the Ronin were about wrung out from the heat. Tarun didn't mind it much at all; he had lived in a very hot region of India. Nohano absolutely loved it, and Rashida was also used to the heat. Everyone else, however, could do without it. Demetrius, with his pale skin, had to use a special sunscreen to protect his skin from sunburns and outright damage. He, more than any of them, disliked the heat, accustomed to the very cool weather of his home region in Russia.

Tarun found himself spending less time in the company of the others, unless they were eating a meal or practicing their fighting. They were all getting grouchy, and Tarun found it was better to stay out of the way when he wasn't able to cheer anyone up. At least Suisei was able to tell Tarun was not as cheerful as usual, and made sure to take the time to pay him a little extra attention when they were at home. He, at least, was not too grouchy. Though if Tarun was to be fair, Killian wasn't very grouchy with him, either. But he wasn't as happy as usual.

Things did not change until the middle of April, on a Friday, and it changed while Tarun was at school.

Tarun was still taking the bus to school; Xander's father had not shown his face in weeks, but the others were still being cautious, and Tarun actually enjoyed riding the bus. It was fun. That day, however, the bus got a flat tire halfway to the school, and everyone had to wait in the stifling heat for another bus to be summoned to pick them up. The day had dawned gray and overcast, but the heat had not diminished; if anything, the humidity had made the heat seem even worse.

The whole busload of them was a half hour late for school, which Tarun didn't necessarily mind normally, but in this case it meant he had an extra homework assignment to make up that day. The teachers didn't seem to like the heat wave any more than anyone else, and were more snappish and irritable than normal. All in all, Tarun was never so grateful to see lunchtime.

He sat with a group of his friends in the cafeteria, talking about what grouches the teachers were, and whether it would get even hotter once summer got there. One of the boys said that with their luck it'd probably snow all summer. As the weather in later years had been entirely unpredictable, it was possible!

The fourth-graders had lunch at noon, along with the third-graders, and because it was so searing hot outside, they were given the option of staying inside the library and reading, or playing the board games the school kept for rain days. Tarun opted to go outside, not able to stand another minute cooped up in the building, and he certainly had no intentions of sitting quietly somewhere and reading. Not that he minded reading, but he minded being quiet.

He spent the first five minutes of recess running around in the sand, expending the energy that always built up during the morning hours. He played a fast game of tag with a group of third-graders, giggling as he thought about what would happen if he donned his armor to play tag, and what their faces would look like. He couldn't do it, of course, but it was fun to think about.

It wasn't until recess was nearly over that things got scary. Tarun had been swinging from the monkey bars when a movement at the far end of the playground caught his eye; it was a familiar figure, though at first Tarun didn't know why. The playground was big, and that odd corner was shaded by several trees that overhung the fence from outside. Curiosity overcoming him, Tarun dropped down to the sand and jogged across the playground.

At first he saw nothing at all, and wondered if he had simply imagined it. Feeling inexplicably unnerved, he crept around a corner of the school, looking around the area. There no kids back here; there was little room between the school and the back fence, and the only things there were the trees, which kids weren't allowed to climb. The only thing of any kind of interest there was the dumpster, and that was behind a locked fence. The clouds above had taken on a greenish cast, casting strange shadows, which made Tarun even more nervous.

Tarun had just about decided that he didn't want to know who or what he had seen, when movement caught his eye once more. Someone was standing among the trees, nearly obscured in shadow. Tarun took a hesitant step forward, his sandals crunching on the half-dead grass, squinting his eyes to make out the figure.

Sudden fear spiked through him when the figure stepped out of the shadows, revealing dark blue hair and eyes, a scarred face, a figure in reddish sub-armor. Tarun gasped, stumbling hastily backwards, his hand darting into his pocket to grasp the armor orb he always carried with him. He had not seen Kale since Tarun had been Talpa's prisoner, since he had endured three days being interrogated by Jin Tanaka—but Kale had been there too... Why was he here? How did he know where Tarun went to school? He didn't stop backing up until felt the warm, raspy stucco of the school building at his back, as he and Kale locked gazes.

"Calm yourself, boy," said Kale contemptuously, his eyes narrowed in unkind amusement at Tarun's fear. "I come only to deliver a message."

Tarun felt himself beginning to shake, trying very hard not to think of his imprisonment in the Nether Realm, and glanced quickly around, feeling cornered. If Kale was here, there might be others, and the last thing he wanted was to be ambushed. "What message?" he finally managed to ask, bringing his wary gaze back onto Kale.

Kale chuckled, taking a step back and raising his hands. Tarun flinched and very nearly summoned his riot gear, but all Kale did was to project the image of a sort of television screen. It looked familiar, and Tarun realized that Talpa had had the same kind of screen behind him in his throne room when Tarun had been brought before him. Suspicious now, his alarm dissipating just a little, Tarun moved his gaze to look at the screen.

The image that faded onto the screen sent chills of horror through Tarun. It showed a stone chamber, much like the one that he, Killian, and Tarun had spent three days in in Talpa's palace, only this one had no water in it. Instead it had shackles against the walls, and six prisoners.

Five of them were youths, about Nohano's age, and they looked vaguely familiar to Tarun. But the sixth figure was an older man, and as the image began to clear, Tarun recognized him. He felt his eyes go wide, and he gaped at the image. "Yasuo!" he cried in disbelief, unable to believe what he was seeing.

As Tarun watched in horror, the malevolently familiar figures of Nether Spirits hovered above the prisoners, lancing dark energy through them. Though there was no sound, Tarun could see them screaming in pain from the spirits' attacks, remembering all too well his own ordeal with them.

Tarun clenched his fists, sudden anger taking place of his fear. "What did you do to them you--you jerk! Where are they? What're you doing to them?"

Kale laughed, then, his mouth splitting into an altogether ghoulish smile. "As you may or may not have known, the five boys are the Ronin who fought us before you brats came along. Even in spirit they are not safe from the Dynasty, and we have spent several days making them suffer for their actions against us. As for Yasuo, well, he's not been with us as long, but I assure you he is suffering just as much."

Unable to stop himself, Tarun looked back at the screen, beginning to shiver again, his eyes suddenly burning as he watched the horrible scene. And then the screen was gone, leaving only dark trees and the deserted street behind them.

A scroll had materialized in Kale's hands. "Now that I've gotten your attention—you will give my message to your friends." Tarun recoiled as Kale tossed the scroll at his feet, but did not make a move to pick it up just yet. He looked back up at Kale, who suddenly chuckled as if something extremely funny had just occurred. "Oh, and by the way," he said, bowing with mock courtesy, "I must thank you, Daybreak. We couldn't have found Toshitada without your help. Your information was quite useful."

Tarun gaped, mortified, as Kale vanished in a flash of orange light. His chest felt tight, and his hands were shaking, unable to think of a single thing except for what Kale had just said. "We couldn't have found Toshitada without your help."

"It's my fault," he whispered wretchedly, sinking down onto the grass and staring dazedly at the scroll Kale had thrown to him. He vaguely felt tears beginning to streak down his face, wiping absently at them, too shocked to notice or to care. Urgency came over him, only a hair's breadth from panic, as he suddenly grabbed up the scroll and stood up. 'We gotta get him out—we gotta rescue him, now!'

Tarun didn't know what to do; the overwhelming need to do something, and right this very instant, was clouding all rational thought. He might have stood there all day if it wasn't for the shrill peal of the teachers' whistles, calling the third and fourth-graders in from recess. Tarun bit his lip hard, the little pain cutting through his building panic, and calming him enough that he was able to think. He grabbed the scroll and shoved it into his back pocket, sprinting to the main part of the playground, where the classes were lining up to go inside.

He tacked himself onto the end of his class's line, vaguely aware that he was getting some strange looks; he was still crying, though it was tapering off as he furiously tried to think of what to do. The girl in front of him, a snotty stupid girl who liked to make fun of him any chance he got, made a snide remark, but Tarun hardly heard her as the line began moving towards the air-conditioned hallways inside.

Tarun...are you all right?

Suisei's mental voice startled Tarun, and he nearly groaned aloud in frustration. Why hadn't he thought to use the mind link! Relief flooded his mind as he replied. Suisei! Kale—the Dynasty—they've got Yasuo! And they've got the other Ronin, too, the other ones, the ones who came before us! He came to my school! They've got them in the Nether realm, they've got Nether Spirits, and--

Tarun could feel startlement from Suisei as he began to babble through the mind link, and his calm voice stopped Tarun's rant in the middle. Whoa, whoa...easy, kiddo, he said. Where are you right now?

At school. We're just done with recess.

All right. Just hang tight, I'm gonna come and pick you up, okay? You can tell me the whole story in the car.

Okay, said Tarun shakily.

Just try to calm down, okay, Taru-chan? The familiar, affectionate form of his name did calm him a little, as he liked it when Suisei called him Taru-chan. I'll be there as soon as I can.

Okay. Tarun took a big breath and closed his eyes for a moment, bringing his attention back to the classroom. The line had reached the doors, and the other kids were dispersing towards their desks once they got through the doorway. More than one of them was looking at Tarun oddly.

Mrs. Reppler, Tarun's teacher, looked over at him, her brow furrowing in sudden concern. "Are you all right, Tarun?" she asked, approaching him to put a hand on his shoulder.

Tarun looked up, appreciating her concern, but certainly could not tell her why he was upset. "Yeah," he said. "I'm okay...thanks."

He was obviously not very convincing, because Mrs. Reppler looked more concerned than ever. "Are you sure, Tarun? Your face is very pale—did something happen?"

Tarun suddenly realized his face was still wet, and hastily wiped his eyes and cheeks. He tried to think of something that he could say that wouldn't make Mrs. Reppler think he was lying to her, but that she would be satisfied with, but he was saved the necessity.

"I think the heat must have gotten to you," she murmured, putting a hand on Tarun's forehead for a moment, still looking worried. "Why don't you go lie down in the nurse's office for a little while, okay?"

That was a fantastic idea. Tarun nodded in weary agreement, and followed Mrs. Reppler to her desk, where she opened a drawer and pulled out a yellow hall pass for him. She scribbled "nurse" on the blank area and gave the pass to Tarun. "Go on, now, okay?"

"Okay," said Tarun, managing to smile; he really liked Mrs. Reppler. She was very nice, and never yelled at kids unless they were really misbehaving. He thanked her and went back out through the door, closing his eyes in relief as he gained the relative peace of the now-empty hallways. There was no way he'd be able to concentrate on Social Studies, anyway, not as worried and upset as he was.

His mind was blank as he walked towards the front of the school, where the principal's office and the nurse's office were. He walked into the nurse's office, where there were three beds covered in waterproof vinyl, and a small desk where the nurse kept all her records. Cabinets lined one wall.

The nurse's name was Ms. Donelly, and she was an older woman with dark hair and a lot of wrinkles. She was nice enough, though somewhat impartial. When Tarun walked into the nurse's station, she took the pass he gave her, and asked what was wrong. Tarun said that he got too hot outside and didn't feel well.

Ms. Donelly sighed, putting a hand briefly on Tarun's hair. "I've seen that a lot lately," she said, going to the water cooler next to her desk and filling a paper cone cup full of cool water. "Here. Drink this, then go and lie down on one of the beds, okay?"

Tarun nodded and drank the water; it was shockingly cold, but refreshing. He handed the cup back to the nurse and lay down on the bed farthest from the desk. He needed to think, and didn't want to be distracted.

The vinyl creaked as Tarun settled his weight on it, and the plastic-covered pillow crackled as he lay his head down. Tarun often thought that the only people who had plastic on their pillows were school nurses; even his doctor didn't have a plastic-covered pillow in his office.

Suisei?

I'm here, kiddo, came Suisei's mental voice, sounding very distracted. I'm about five minutes away from the school. You all right?

Y-yeah. I'm in the nurse's office. Mrs. Reppler thought that I got too hot outside and sent me here. And Julie Mason laughed at me 'cause I was crying. Tarun scowled into the pillow, vowing that he would have to do something about that next he saw her. A lizard in her desk, maybe.

Some people are like that, said Suisei sympathetically. But I'll be there very soon, and you can tell me what happened.

Tarun felt oddly better after that. Suisei would be there in five minutes, and Tarun would be able to tell him everything that happened. It was a lot worse when things like this happened if you were alone. He wasn't scared any more, but bad things were always better if there was someone there with you. And Tarun didn't know what to do.

He spent the next five minutes trying not to think about Yasuo, trying to shove away the wretched guilt that threatened to smother him. He tried not to think of the horrible, endless hours in Talpa's dungeon, either huddled in a cell or strapped to the stone table, with Jin Tanaka looming over him... Tarun closed his eyes, beginning to shiver again, and couldn't wait for Suisei to get there.

It seemed like far longer than it really was when Suisei walked into the nurse's station, and Tarun got hastily up from the bed, running to him. Everything—the guilt, and the fear—lessened when Suisei put his arms around him. Sometimes Tarun couldn't stand adults, which was normal for most kids, but most of the time he was entirely grateful for them.

"Hi," said Suisei quietly to the nurse. "I think I'm going to go ahead and take Tarun home for the day, if that's all right. He's only got a couple of hours left, anyway."

"That's fine, Mr. Kyoto," said the nurse amiably. "I'll go ahead and notify his teacher, and he can pick up any work he's missed on Monday."

Tarun felt Suisei's arm leave him, presumably to shake the nurse's hand, then he was guiding Tarun out of the office. "Do you want to grab your lunchbox and backpack?" Suisei asked.

At first Tarun didn't want to bother with it, but he changed his mind. He'd left half a sandwich in his lunchbox, and if he left that all weekend, it was going to smell pretty ripe. So they grabbed Tarun's things before heading outside and getting into Suisei's car. Tarun slumped back in the passenger seat.

"All right, kiddo," said Suisei, shutting the door and turning on the engine. But he did not leave the parking lot, he only turned on the air-conditioning. "Tell me what's happened."

Having calmed considerably, Tarun found it far easier to relate what had happened. He told of how he'd caught sight of someone outside the playground, and gone to see who it was. How shocked and startled he'd been on seeing it was Kale, and how he'd nearly armored up right then and there. He wondered distractedly what ol' Julie Mason's face woulda looked like if she'd seen that!

He told Suisei about the image Kale had shown him, and who he'd seen in the vision. And of how Kale had thanked him for allowing them to locate and capture Yasuo. Tarun clenched his teeth then, fighting not to cry. He glanced up at Suisei, who looked furious. For just a moment, he thought Suisei was angry at him, but when Suisei reached over and pulled him onto his lap, he realized the anger was at Kale, not Tarun. "That bastard," Suisei hissed, holding Tarun and rocking him a little. Tarun couldn't help but cry then, intensely grateful that Suisei was there. "It's not enough, what they did to you, he's got to taunt you about it."

"I hate him," Tarun said, clenching a fist. "I hope I meet him again in battle!" He did, too. He'd been practicing now for weeks against Rashida's Thunderbolt Cut attack, which was almost identical to Kale's own dark lightning, and he felt far more confident about fighting Kale.

"I hope so, too," said Suisei. "You certainly deserve the change to give him back a little of what he gave you." Suisei sighed quietly and pulled Tarun away from him, tilting his head so he was looking up at Suisei. "It's natural to feel guilty, kiddo. But please try not to. No one would have been able to keep from telling those sadistic wretches what they wanted to know. And there's no guarantee that Yasuo would have been safe whether or not you'd given them his name. Remember all the information they found about us, without us even knowing they were spying on us?"

Tarun scowled in indignation; he most certainly did remember! Kale had told him about it when the warlords had separated them all (and after Tarun had woken from being knocked out.) Suisei was probably right, too, on both counts, though it didn't make the guilty feeling leave completely. But it did make it better. "We gotta rescue them," he said fiercely. "All of 'em!"

Suisei helped Tarun settle back into the passenger seat, nodding his head in grim agreement. "We do," he said. "We're going to have to find a way in—what was written on the scroll that Kale gave you?"

Tarun blinked; he had forgotten he had the thing with him! Even while telling that part of the story to Suisei, he'd managed to forget the scroll itself was in his back pocket. Tarun pulled the ancient-looking scroll out and unraveled it, gazing for a moment at the writing, and scowling in irritation. He handed it over to Suisei. "It's in Japanese," he grouched. Tarun had learned a lot of Japanese words, living with Suisei, but he knew nothing of the kanji pictograms they used for writing.

Suisei took the scroll, his expression grim. "Toshitada Yasuo, Sanada Ryo, Hashiba Touma, Mourin Shin, Rei Faun Shuu, and Date Seiji are our guests in the Nether Realm. Master Talpa extends his invitation to you as well. Keep in mind how horribly our guests our suffering at our hands. We look forward to our next meeting." Suisei gazed at the scroll, narrowed-eyed, for several moments before rolling it back up and looked at Tarun. "Short and sweet," he said with a good degree of sarcasm. "All right, kiddo, it's nearly one-thirty. You did eat lunch, right?"

Tarun nodded. "Yeah, but not a lot of it. I wasn't very hungry."

"Okay. Let's head for a Dairy Queen, then." An ice cream sounded great! And Suisei knew it, too. "We'll get you something cold and loaded with way too much sugar, and I can grab some lunch. Then we can pick up Xander and Company. By the time we get home, everyone should be there, and we can begin working on a way to get in the Nether Realm after them."

That sounded like a great plan! Tarun was doubly glad Suisei had gotten off of work early to come and get him. It was an awful feeling, to be alone, and even the indignation of needing the adults to tell him what to do was muted then by relief.

Suisei had Tarun buckle his seat belt before pulling out of the school's parking lot.

Ice cream could make anyone happy, Tarun decided a half hour later. He and Suisei sat in a slightly overcrowded Dairy Queen by the window, Tarun with a large dipped ice cream cone, and Suisei with a plastic basket containing a large chili dog, French fries, and a pickle. He absentmindedly handed over the pickle, which Tarun happily took. (Suisei didn't like pickles, but Tarun loved them.)

"That's revolting," said Suisei, coming out of his reverie and watching Tarun chomp the pickle slice down. "And then you're going to eat your ice cream. You sure you're not pregnant?"

Tarun blinked, not getting the joke, until Suisei explained about the weird cravings that pregnant women often got during their pregnancy, and of how ice cream and pickles seemed to be a popular combination. And then Tarun couldn't stop giggling until his ice cream began to melt onto his hand. He hastily tried licking it before it made a large mess.

Suisei began to eat, his eyes slipping back out of focus. "We're going to have to find a way in," he murmured. "And be careful, because you can be sure they're going to spring a trap, just like they did last time."

Tarun nodded, but he wasn't too worried. As often happened with him, once the fear had gone, he had no doubts that things would turn out okay. Suisei continued to mutter to himself, though, in between bites of his lunch. Tarun fidgeted in the booth as he finished his drippy ice cream, wincing a little at his sticky hands.

"Go wash 'em," suggested Suisei, noticing Tarun's look.

Tarun got up agreeably and headed for the men's room. There were three people using it, but no one was at the sink. Tarun washed his hands, glad that the sinks weren't stupidly high like they seemed to be in some bathrooms. 'I bet lots of kids come here so they made it lower.' It made sense, at any rate!

When his hands were clean and dry, Tarun went back out and sat down, occasionally stealing a fry from Suisei's basket. When he had finished his lunch, the clock read 2:36. "All right, I guess we'd better head outta here," said Suisei. "And see what we can come up with."


	11. The Dam Breaks

CHAPTER 11: The Dam Breaks

When Suisei and Tarun arrived at Bayside High, Amaya, Killian, and Xander were outside waiting for them. Tarun scrambled into the backseat so that someone bigger could have the front seat to himself, and buckled into the window seat. (He was willing to give up the front seat, but not to sit in the middle!) He caught a puzzled glance from Xander as he opened the passenger door, and Killian blinked in surprise on seeing Tarun.

"Hi," said Tarun as Amaya and Killian joined him in the back seat. He was mildly amused when a minor scuffle broke out between them as they both tried to claim the window seat. Killian lost, and grumbled darkly as he slid up next to Tarun.

"So what's the half-pint doing here?" asked Xander, grinning back at Tarun.

Indignation flared, as it always did when he was called a shrimp. "Hey!"

"I'll let Tarun tell that little story," said Suisei, glancing back in the rearview mirror. "Though we're less than five minutes from home, you might want to just wait."

"I'll wait," said Tarun agreeably, scooting over a little bit so that Killian wasn't so crowded. "And we gotta show you something, too, but it's in Japanese, so only Amaya can really read it."

"Well, that's enigmatic," said Xander dryly. "You know you'd make a fantastic mystery writer, kid—you seem to like keeping people in suspense."

Tarun laughed a little, shrugging. "You don't have to wait very long, though," he offered, giving the older boy an endearing smile. He sympathized with having to wait for things, after all; he wasn't very good at waiting, either. The only other one in the group that was even close to being as impatient was Nohano.

The trip home was silent and brief, and when the car stopped in the gravel driveway, Tarun scrambled out of the car, nearly bouncing up and down with impatience. As impatient as the others were to know what had happened, Tarun was even more impatient to tell it!

Everyone else was already at the house, though Demetrius was still in the shower. He worked with a construction crew, and came home covered in dust, tar, and other odd substances from the construction sites. He always took a shower when he got home. He was a little startled when Tarun used the mind link to tell him matter-of-factly that he should hurry because he and Suisei had a whole load of stuff to tell everyone. Demetrius laughed and said back that just for that, he might spend all day in the shower. Undaunted, Tarun shot back that if he did that, then he'd be missing all the information about where Yasuo had gone. That got him to hurry!

Fifteen minutes later, Suisei had made a jug of Kool-Ade, and everyone sat around the table drinking it except for Tarun, who was more restless than usual. "Kale came to my school!" he declared to begin his tale. After the various "whats" and "huhs" had been exclaimed, Tarun lounged into his story, interrupting himself several times to interject an insult or an indignant or angry exclamation. He told the story as he'd told Suisei, from catching a familiar shadow at the other side of the playyard, to the scroll Kale threw at him. He could tell the others were furious at Kale for his cruel words, and at Talpa for the capture of the Ronin and of Yasuo.

When Tarun had finished his story, taking a huge gulp of his Kool-Ade, Suisei handed the scroll to Amaya, the only other one able to read it properly. Her blue eyes narrowed dangerously as she read over the kanji, first silently, then at the others' urging, aloud.

I couldn't read it, either, grouched Tarun through the mind link as he drank his Kool-Ade. He often used telepathy half the time, even when he was right next to the people he wanted to talk to. For him it was as natural a form of communication as speaking aloud. And it was more fun.

"I do wonder why he chose to give this message to Tarun," said Amaya quietly. "One would think he would give such a message to Nohano, as he leads us."

"Maybe he doesn't know he leads us?" guessed Killian.

"Maybe," said Amaya. "But surely he knows Tarun does not lead us!" Tarun blinked, frowning a little, and Amaya obviously realized that her insinuation had been a little insulting towards Tarun. "I'm sorry, Tarun," she said, smiling a little. "I didn't mean it as it sounded. Not as if you haven't the ability, but someone like Kale would not expect a child to lead any group."

I guess so, said Tarun, shrugging and trying to look as if he didn't care either way. But he did. He knew the others never meant to be malicious, and normally he didn't care, but often their casual comments cut him more than they realized. Tarun never thought it would be so rough, being the only child in a group of warriors.

But now wasn't the time to say anything.

Nohano was gazing at Tarun with an expression that looked somewhere between worried and angry. "And you only now tell us he said, frowning. "You could have easily told the whole story through the mind link; why did you choose only now?"

Tarun frowned a little also, setting down his nearly empty glass of Kool-Ade. He didn't reply at first, because he wasn't sure how. The last thing he expected was for someone to be annoyed with him for waiting!

"You know we've been looking for weeks for what happened to the Ronin, and then Yasuo disappeared—! I've been worrying for weeks, now!" Nohano's anger seemed to be building, and he stood up from the table, his featured darkened by a scowl.

Hurt and anger heated Tarun's face, and he caught Suisei standing up as well, about to say something to Nohano, but Tarun beat him to it. "I was scared!" he exclaimed. "I didn't think about telling everyone, I told Suisei, and he said he'd come over—he didn't tell you guys either!"

Killian looked back and forth between the two, looking worried. "Look," he said quietly, "let's not get into a row over this—we should be concentrating on what to do about Talpa."

"Yeah, that's great," said Nohano in exasperation, slamming his glass down on the table. "We could been working on this problem three hours ago, if they'd bothered to let the rest of us know!"

Tarun didn't see much of what happened next; his own anger and frustration had come to a boil. He was not easily riled, but when he did lose his temper, it was almost as explosive at Nohano's. "Fine!" he yelled, throwing his own glass across the room, where it shattered against the wall. Shocked, everyone turned to look at him. "I wish Kale HAD come here and told you instead! I bet YOU woudln'ta got scared, at all, and you'd've done everything right!"

"Tarun..." Killian's soft voice, a little uneasy, but still kind, broke in, trying to calm Tarun from his ire, but Tarun's ire was not stoppable.

"No! He's right! I shouldn't even be here in this stupid group—I'm just a kid, I don't know why Yasuo even gave me this armor!" Feeling hot tears streaming down his cheeks, not caring how he must look or what the others must think of him for his words, Tarun jammed his hand in his pocket and grasped the armor orb, throwing it onto the ground. "I'm not a warrior; you guys're better without me!" Tarun ran out of the kitchen then, shocked silence in his wake, and sprinted for the door. He heard someone call to him to wait, and not even knowing who it was, he ignored them, flinging open the door and running outside.

Tears blurred his vision and he wiped them angrily away, disappearing among the nearby houses, running as far from their house as he could get. Right then he hardly cared if he ever saw any of them again; he just wanted to go somewhere he wouldn't ever have to do anything, so he wouldn't make any more mistakes.

Tarun heard Suisei's worried mental voice, but he walled them all out, not wanting to talk to any of them. He and Killian, who seemed to have the most control over their telepathy, had learned how to block people out of their minds, either a little or a lot, when they didn't want to be distracted by mental chatter. Tarun didn't remember ever having done it other than to practice doing it, but he blocked them out now. Completely.

Thoughts of what might happen if one of the warlords were to find him alone and without his armor didn't occur to him. He was angry and hurt, and felt like a worthless burden to the other Ronin, and had just about decided that he wouldn't be one anymore. It didn't occur to him that Talpa and his warlords probably didn't care whether or not Tarun wanted to be one or not; he was still the enemy.

Tarun ran until he was gasping for breath, covering a considerable distance before stopping, leaning shakily against a nearby palm tree. He was at the beach, nearly three miles from the house, farther even than their practice spot on the shoreline.

Running eased his mind, as it always did. It calmed his furious anger, and exhausted his hurt feelings. He had even stopped crying, although he still felt wretched. Scowling with frustration, he punched the palm tree, yelping when it hurt, and calling himself stupid for having done it. Wiping his eyes, he looked around to see where he had run to. Liking to explore, he knew the surrounding area fairly well—the beaches and woods at any rate, preferring them to the city—and slowly began to recognize where he was.

This section of beach was old, privately owned, and always deserted. There were "No Trespassing" signs up everywhere, but Tarun had explored the place just the same. It wasn't as if there were video camera in the palm trees, after all; he had even checked.

Tarun looked around until he spotted a jagged spike of pier jutting from the water, and walked slowly towards it, scuffling the sand angrily as he walked. Maybe Nohano was right, and he should have told everyone sooner, but he hadn't thought of it! How could you do something if you didn't think of it? Suisei hadn't thought of it, either! How come Nohano hadn't yelled at him?

The scene from that afternoon played in Tarun's mind once more, of seeing Kale and nearly wetting his pants in fright. Kale didn't terrify him like Jin Tanaka did, but Tarun was still very intimidated by him, and to see him there all of a sudden—even Kale disdained him! Amaya was definitely right, Kale had to know the likes of Tarun certainly wasn't the leader! He remembered Kale's mocking bow, his "gracious" declaration of gratitude for Tarun's help in capturing Yasuo. He remembered the sight of Yasuo screaming as he was attacked by the Nether Spirits, and started to cry again. He had been responsible for Yasuo's capture! Maybe Nohano thought it was his fault, too.

'Demetrius wouldn't've told,' he thought miserably, forgetting that he had given information during those awful days. 'He woulda been strong enough.' But Tarun wasn't. Even now, as he thought about it, he knew he'd do it again, because he couldn't help it. The thought of enduring again what Jin had put him through made him shake.

Tarun stopped on the sand, the bright sun on his face, not even cheered by its light and warmth. He had arrived at the broken pier, searching the shore for the angles and lines that marked the old boathouse...

When last Tarun had explored this area of shoreline, he'd found an old boathouse that looked as if it hadn't been used in decades. He'd liked the little building the moment he stepped inside. It was old, but still strong, with washed-out walls the same color as the beach and the cliff-rocks that surrounded it. The inside smelled of seaweed and salt, of musty wood and of Time. That last one had been a hard one to identify, but Tarun had finally figure out that it was Time he smelled in that boathouse. He was absolutely certain no one had stepped foot in there for years before Tarun did.

He felt safe in that little building. It was warm and spacious, with moors for boats and benches to sit on; one end was dry wood, up out of the water, where several buckets and ropes were stored. A little cubby space at the top, like a miniature attic, housed a few antique boating supplies, such as an old motor and mooring ropes, and a couple of things Tarun couldn't identify. A window let in the sunlight, warm and somehow still, like Time itself didn't even move.

His thoughts settling into sullen resentment, Tarun slipped over to the boathouse, sliding into the water and opening the door that barred the way in. He crept in quickly, shutting the door, not wanting to let out any more Time than he had to. He didn't know if Time could escape through a door or not, but he wasn't about to take the chance. He came here when he wanted to be alone, or when he felt bad, and didn't want to go to the others for comfort. No one knew about the place, not even Suisei.

Sniffling a little bit, feeling suddenly exhausted, Tarun climbed up onto the dry part, ascending the old, dry ladder into the cubby space, and curled up on the sun-warmed wood. He sighed, laying his head on his arms and letting the sun shining through the glassless window begin to dry him.

He didn't mean to fall asleep, but he had run a long way at full speed, even for him, and had gone through an exhausting, emotional day. The next thing he knew, he was opening his eyes, feeling stiff and sore, and sat up, bewildered. He remembered right away that he was in the boathouse, but the dim light puzzled him. Peering outside the little window, he was startled to realize that the sun was beginning to set, and that he must have slept for several hours. The others were probably starting to worry about him.

'Prob'ly not,' he thought sullenly, even though it wasn't a very nice thing to think. He rubbed his eyes, which also felt stiff and sore, and figured they were probably all puffy, like they got when he'd cried a long time. He didn't want to go home...but he also didn't want to sit in the boathouse all night. He liked the boathouse in the day, when the sun warmed its walls and the gulls cried outside. But he had never been there before in the evening, and he didn't like how the dim light set gloomy shadows, turning the preserved Time in the boathouse from something soothing to something forgotten and lost.

Sighing quietly, Tarun crept to the opening in the cubby space, his feet feeling for the ladder below him. It trembled a bit under his weight as always, sending dust motes flying into the dying light. He considered briefly letting down his mental block, but he was still feeling pretty stubborn, and didn't want to talk to anyone just yet. He didn't want to be scolded, he didn't want to be told how dangerous it was to go out by himself. He didn't want them to say that a little kid shouldn't be going off by himself, or yelled at for making them worry.

Tarun's thoughts foundered in a gloomy funk as he swam through the now-chilly water and out of the boathouse. Closing the door behind him, he doggy-paddled through the water and dragged himself onto the shore, beginning to shiver. He wished he hadn't fallen asleep; the night was unseasonably warm, but the water was not. The sea got cold!

He tried not to think much on his way home, and tried not to hurry much, either. He was in no great hurry to face everyone again after his tantrum, and though he felt he was justified, he didn't think the others would agree. It wasn't as if he could help it, any more than Nohano could help losing his temper, or Amaya could help getting impatient sometimes. Tarun couldn't be nice and cheerful all the time!

He should have been paying more attention as he walked; he realized that later on, especially as he walked through the darkened copse of trees that marked the way home. He was wondering how some people managed to live in the woods, where the shadows were creepy, and the trees blocked out all the sun, when a sudden noise made him freeze.

Only then did he realize just how vulnerable he was, alone and unarmed, without even his kanji orb. Deserving of his armor or not, Tarun realized that it was the best protection he had, and wished he hadn't left it. Swallowing hard, stepping quietly, and trying not to make any noise, Tarun increased his pace, suddenly wanting to be home. Facing his friends would be far easier to do than staying in this dark forest, where anything could be lurking. Looking all around him at the trees, that suddenly seemed to be reaching out for him, Tarun began to jog, stumbling bare-footed over twigs and underbrush and stones. The cry of a raven spooked him and he broke into an all-out sprint, instinct taking over and telling him to get out of there any way he could.

Something suddenly trapped his foot, stopping him short, and Tarun let out a startled cry as he crashed to the ground, skinning his elbows and knees on the hard-packed dirt and wrenching his ankle. He cried out again at the sudden pain, hissing angrily, and gingerly extracting his foot from where it had been caught; a treacherous old tree root jutted from the earth, seeming to leer gleefully at him for having grabbed him. Angry now, rather than afraid, Tarun growled angrily at it in his own language, calling it something he wouldn't have said in front of Suisei. Fighting tears, Tarun got carefully to his feet, clenching his teeth as he put weight on his hurt ankle. 'I hope no creepy beast is here,' he thought, looking nervously around. The sun had nearly set by then, and things were getting spookier than before.

He had only just taken a step, before something burst from the shadows, and Tarun stumbled away, eyes widening in alarm. He turned to run, but the thing was too fast—it sprinted from the trees, and Tarun had time only to realize it was human, before it grabbed his arms in its powerful grasp.


	12. The Way Opened

CHAPTER 12: The Way Opened

Tarun yelled in protest, spinning around and struggling with all of his might to escape whoever had grabbed him; his first thought that it was one of the warlords, for the hands gripping his arms were covered with metal gauntlets. He wrenched one arm away, his hand flashing up in a palm-strike at his attacker's face. The figure yelled in shocked pain as the heel of Tarun's hand made contact with his nose, and the grip was suddenly gone from Tarun's arms. He scrambled away, groaning as he stepped down with his injured leg, fighting panic; there was no way he could fight, not with a hurt leg and no weapons!

"Wait! Tarun, wait!"

Tarun froze, his eyes widening, limping back a step at the shocked cry; he knew the voice! "N-nohano?"

There was a startled silence, then another voice, this one belonging to Amaya. "Did you find him?"

"Yes! He's here, I found him, he's here!"

Tarun didn't know how they had found him, but even as angry as he was before, he was glad that they were there. Had everyone come, then? He blinked as a flashlight beam bobbed through the trees towards them, held in the gauntlet-clad hand of Amaya; she and Nohano were both clad in their riot gear, and both of them looked upset and worried. Tarun felt suddenly guilty; he had honestly not wanted to worry them, he had just wanted to be away from everyone!

As Amaya brought the light over, Tarun squinted, looking at them both. To his shock, Nohano looked like he had cried possibly as much as Tarun had, and he felt a little guilty on seeing that his nose was bleeding; Tarun had done that when he hit him, thinking he was a warlord. For a moment, no one said anything, and then Nohano stepped forward, grasping Tarun in a relieved embrace, holding him tightly. Tarun froze, not knowing what to think, as Nohano wept, holding Tarun for several moments.

When he let Tarun go, he looked miserable. "Tarun..." His voice was shaky, and he wiped his eyes, scowling for a moment on remembering his hands were covered in metal. Tarun felt sudden sympathy; he'd done that several times, and nearly given himself a black eye. "I...I'm sorry, Tarun. I feel awful, I know I was mean—I can't take it back, what I said, and I shouldn't have said it at all. I was just—I was worried, and stressed, and upset about everything..."

Tarun bit his lip, realizing that he was no longer really angry with Nohano, having worn out all of his anger in the course of the day, and he did feel bad for worrying everyone. "I'm not mad anymore," he said. He wasn't sure if he was quite ready to forgive Nohano for yelling at him, but he was no longer angry.

Nohano sighed, running a hand distractedly through his hair; he wasn't wearing his headband, and his hair was spilling across his eyes. "I wouldn't blame you if you were, kiddo," he said tiredly. "I know I would be." He glanced at Amaya, who was keeping quiet, and then to the woods around them, and he shuddered a little bit. "Let's get the hell out of these creepy-ass woods," he muttered, and Tarun caught an amused smile from Amaya. Amaya was right at home out here in the dark, he realized, but he and Nohano were not children of the night.

"We can talk at home," agreed Amaya quietly. She flickered the flashlight's beam over him, seeming to assess whether or not he'd been hurt or not. "Are you all right, Tarun?"

Was he? Tarun looked down at himself. He'd ripped his school clothes and skinned his arms and legs, but those were no big deal. His ankle however was purplish, bruised, and swelling up from having twisted it on that miserable tree root. "Mostly," he finally answered. "I hurt my stupid ankle."

"I'll carry you," said Nohano quickly, stepping forward, but Tarun scowled, taking a limping step back. Nohano faltered, an expression Tarun couldn't read crossing his face.

Tarun felt his face heat up; the idea of being carried home like a helpless infant hurt his already-wounded pride. Amaya smiled, though it wasn't much of one. "We'll go slow," he said finally, stepping forward to put a hand on his shoulder. Tarun finally nodded, and the three of them turned towards the house.

"How'd you find me?" Tarun asked sullenly as they walked. He was all too aware of how slowly the others had to walk, of how Tarun's hobbling along was slowing them down considerably. It was only stubbornness keeping Tarun from asking for help.

"Well," said Amaya softly, "at first we couldn't find you. We searched everywhere. After what happened today, Suisei was worried you'd be attacked, and without your armor and weapons..." Tarun blushed, again feeling guilty he had made Suisei worry.

"H-hold on a second." Tarun stopped, closing his eyes, and slowly easing the mental block he'd erected, connecting only to Suisei. Suisei?

Relief, concern, and gratitude suddenly flooding into his mind from Suisei, and Tarun was not offended by it. In fact he was comforted by Suisei's concern for him, and bit his lip hard, trying not to cry. Tarun! Thank God. I worried, little one---I didn't know where you were, and you were gone for hours...

I'm sorry, Suisei, said Tarun miserably. I was at my hideout, and I fell asleep, but I had my blocks up anyway--

I'm not angry, Taru-chan, said Suisei softly, surprising Tarun. I'm not angry at all. We had a nice, long talk this afternoon, the group of us—we didn't go after you until it started getting dark. Look, we'll talk when you get back, okay, little one?

Why on Earth had Tarun wanted to block Suisei out? As always, he was able to make Tarun feel better, no matter what was wrong. Okay. Nohano and Amaya found me. We're coming home now.

Okay. The rest of us are back at the house; we've got supper ready to serve for when you get here.

Supper! Tarun had not until that moment realized how hungry he was. Okay. Feeling better now that he'd made contact with Suisei, Tarun looked up at Amaya and Nohano, who were waiting patiently for him. Tarun sighed, feeling suddenly very weary. He said nothing, only limped ahead, clenching his teeth as he walked.

"Shoulda brought Rashida," murmured Amaya. "Anyway, I was able to locate you, Tarun, the same way I can teleport. I didn't know I could use the same kind of skill to actually find someone. But once I tried concentrating on you, I somehow knew where to go—we should not go into the neighborhood with our sub-armor on."

"Good idea," murmured Nohano, and soon they were all in their street clothing.

Tarun blinked; that was an exceptionally cool gift to have. Sort of like a human scanner, like the police used to find the bad guys.

As the little group finally exited the trees, Tarun was a little cheered; they walked along the beach now, and the sun had not completely set just yet. It had only seemed that way among the trees, which had blotted out what little light there was. Xander was probably soaking up some energy, as he usually did at twilight; he'd armor up and recharge.

Nohano dropped back to walk beside Tarun, hesitating only a moment before talking. He sounded a little calmer, and was no longer crying. (Neither was Tarun.) "I meant it, kiddo," he said. His voice was quiet, but intense with sincerity and regret, and thought Tarun didn't know those words, he recognized them for what they were. "I shouldn't have said anything, and I'm so sorry I did. Hell, it wasn't even you I was yelling at. Not really. I was gonna yell at something, sometime, and you just...happened to be the one that was there and gave me the slightest excuse."

Tarun frowned a little, looking up at Nohano, and wondering how that worked. Shouldn't a person yell at the thing making them mad? He supposed if you didn't know what was making you mad, that would be hard.

Nohano looked down at Tarun, looking anxious. "You forgive me?" he finally asked quietly, looking as if he might be afraid of the answer.

Things did not too often take Tarun by surprise. The fantastic didn't make him blink, and he was always eager to jump into new situations, no matter how weird they were. But realizing that Nohano truly wanted Tarun's forgiveness, and was maybe even afraid of not getting it, shocked him. Earlier he didn't know if he forgave Nohano, but now he knew. He smiled a little and nodded, moving to walk a little closer to him.

He heard Nohano sigh very quietly, and put his arm around Tarun's shoulders. "Thanks, kiddo. Guess I probably don't deserve it...but thanks for giving it."

The three of them were quiet as they made their way home, and Tarun was quite ready to sit down once they got to the front step. He was not very surprised when Suisei greeted them at the door, his expression worried and tense, and stooped down to pick Tarun up, holding him tightly. Tarun flung his arms around Suisei's neck.

"Oh, you're hurt, kiddo," said Suisei. "Let's get you to Rashida before she hunts you down."

Tarun laughed a little bit; it was true, too. Rashida did that with all of them when they were hurt.

Over the next half hour, Tarun didn't say much. Suisei brought him into the living room, where Rashida summoned her riot gear and placed her hands on Tarun's ankles, her gauntlets glowing a soft, bright green. A horrible ache began in his ankle, and he clenched his fists, determined not to cry out as Rashida began to mend the damaged ankle, taking down the swelling and smoothing out the ligaments and muscles. Tarun did not like how it felt to be healed, though was quite happy when it was finished. She also insisted on healing the deep scrapes he'd gotten in his fall. He was too tired to protest.

He took a quick bath and changed into his pajamas, dropping his dirty clothing into the laundry chute.

Suisei told Tarun what happened after he had left. He'd chewed Nohano royally out, and they'd had a shouting match. Xander had left the table, not wanting to listen to everyone fight, and Amaya had lost her patience and told them they were acting like children, and that finding Tarun should probably be a priority. Suisei had said to let Tarun be, that he could take care of himself well enough, and that if he didn't want to be found, he wouldn't. "Especially as stubborn and determined as you are, hm?" said Suisei fondly, hugging Tarun a bit as they sat together on the couch. Tarun shrugged agreeably.

Everyone had separated then, taking a good amount of time to cool down and calm their tempers. Once Nohano's ire had subsided, he'd felt extremely bad about having been mean to Tarun, and wanted to go out and find him, worried that he'd run into trouble, and it would be Nohano's fault. They'd tried to reach Tarun through the mind link, but found his shield was up and firmly in place. They hadn't started a search until about six o'clock, when the sun was heading towards the horizon, and there was still no mental contact from him.

The rest, Tarun knew. Amaya and Nohano had come across him in the forest. Nohano said he'd been too upset to speak, and so relieved that he'd found Tarun that he didn't want to lose him, which was why he'd grabbed Tarun as he had. "I know now that was definitely a mistake," he said ruefully. (Rashida had had to mend his nose, too, which it turned out Tarun had broken. Tarun felt bad about that!)

"Not wise to grab a warrior from behind," said Demetrius with a chuckle, and Tarun smiled wanly at him. He didn't doubt Demetrius's sincerity in calling him a warrior, though Tarun doubted the accuracy. He didn't think that had Nohano been a warlord instead of himself, that Tarun's heel-palm strike would have been too effective.

Tarun didn't tell the others where he had gone, only that he'd fallen asleep, not meaning to stay out that long...at least not without contact. He did not bring up all of his doubts, the things he'd thought on his sprint to the boathouse or while he lay upstairs in the cubby space. He wasn't ready for that just yet.

But when Suisei held out his hand, and dropped the yellow Daybreak orb into Tarun's, Tarun bit his lip. He didn't want the armor. No matter how Suisei had comforted him, he still felt miserably inadequate, and thought that Yasuo had made a huge mistake in choosing him for the armor. Take it, kiddo, said Suisei urgently. Please. None of us should ever be without protection. I was scared to death that Kale would go after you again. Or worse...Tanaka.

Tarun's eyes widened, and he looked up at Suisei in alarm. He had never considered the possibility that Jin Tanaka would go after him. He started to shake, thinking of what would have happened if she'd found him alone in the boathouse, or worse, in the woods, where it was dark. He sighed in defeat and took the orb, unhappily dropping it into the breast pocket of his pajamas. He curled up against Suisei, who cuddled him; Tarun enjoyed the attention, despite his upset, and found that his unhappiness began to fade. Adults were definitely good things. Most the time.

"Aw, crikey," hissed Killian, looking up at the clock. "It's getting late—I stay up too much longer and I'll never get up in tome tomorrow."

"Dude, it's Friday," said Xander with a laugh as Killian got up from the floor. "We can stay up 'til dawn, if we want."

Killian blinked, looked at the clock, and then the movie they were all watching on the television. He laughed sheepishly and got back down on the carpet. "I knew that."

Nohano snorted. "Right...you knew that. Hey, what's with 'crikey', anyway? I think it's your favorite word."

Amaya spoke up with a grin. "No, 'mate' is his favorite word."

"Yeah, that's because he's been craving one," chimed in Xander.

Everyone cracked up as Killian shot him a filthy look. "I am not! I'm not a walking hornball like you, Xan." Of course this made everyone else laugh harder; even Tarun was giggling. Who could not laugh at the word "hornball", anyway? "Anyway," said Killian pointedly, glaring red-faced at everyone until the laughter tapered off. "'Crikey' has been around for ages, but it got really popular at the turn of the century. There was a guy who lived then in Australia, a real folk hero, worked at the Australia Zoo. They called him the Crocodile Hunter."

"Whoa," said Xander, "he hunted crocodiles?"

Killian laughed. "Not really. Not to kill 'em, anyway. He worked with 'em, though, cared for them and caught them for the zoo, or for medical care, or conservation—he did a load of great work for all kinds of animals. His family did, too. Anyway, he was killed in a freak accident when he was filming a documentary underwater—a sting ray attacked him. It's weird, though, they're not usually aggressive, nor fatal to humans. But he got speared through the heart."

Nohano winced. "Ouch—that's rough, getting killed by the creatures you work with."

"How'd they film underwater?" asked Tarun, frowning in puzzlement. "They didn't have those kinds of cameras back then, did they?"

Suisei chuckled, ruffling Tarun's hair. "They did," he said, "but they were fairly new. Nothing like we've got now."

Wow...Tarun never thought they could have done anything remotely like that way back then. It was weird enough to realize that they had television, period, without being able to film underwater. "When was television invented, anyway?"

No one was very surprised when Rashida piped up with the answer. "Technically in 1862," she said, and Tarun gaped in astonishment.

"They had electricity then?" Killian asked, his eyebrows raised skeptically.

"You are serious?" asked Demetrius, looking just as astonished. "I always thought it was in the 1930s."

"Well, kind of. The first still image was transferred over wires in 1862. It was only the beginning, of course. The first working one was made in 1906, I think. It wasn't until the 1920's, though, that they began to sell the televisions to people."

"Wow," said Tarun, fascinated. "I bet that was really weird. I wonder if they looked the same as the ones now!" He glanced over at their television set, one of the less expensive models, with a flat screen and only the basic options.

"No," said Rashida, smiling a little. "They looked very different, and could only show the picture in grayscale." She explained what grayscale meant, and that it used to be called "black and white". "Now the only reason anyone would make something in grayscale is for art, or other deliberate reasons."

"Hey," said Xan, "I bet we could find pictures of old televisions on the 'web."

Distracted from the movie, the group of them spent the next hour looking up old televisions and radios, and learning about how "weird" they were. Tarun wondered how people could even see anything on the old ones, they were so little!

The night, Tarun slept with Suisei; he only bunked with him when he was feeling particularly unhappy, which did not happen often. But no matter what the others said, his self confidence was still flagging badly, and he didn't like how it felt.

---

The next day was Saturday, and no one had to work or go to school that day. The Ronin spent the morning in practice, but afterwards everyone dispersed to their leisure. Rashida was excited about a dig that her mentor was going to help out with, and had asked Rashida if she wanted to go as well. Demetrius had asked if he could come along, and Rashida had gotten permission, so he was fairly excited as well. He wouldn't be able to take anything from the site, but he'd be digging in the earth, so he was happy enough.

Xander and Amaya planned to spend some extra time training at their beach site; Amaya was teaching Xander to handle a sword. Since Xander's armor did not come with a weapon, and he was able to form whatever weapon he wanted out of his energy shields, he'd been wanting to learn to use a sword.

Killian and Nohano had rehearsal with No Quarter, and Tarun asked if he could come along and sing, too. The guys didn't mind, so Nohano said he was more than welcome to, though Suisei said he'd go ahead and stay home, and take advantage of the unusual quiet to relax. Tarun, feeling far better after a night's sleep, said goodbye to him and followed Killian and Nohano out the door.

Singing with No Quarter was fun. Tarun liked the guys, had ever since he had met them over the summer. He didn't know how to read music, but he was able to follow along well enough when given a page of lyrics. He had Music in school, of course, and liked to sing, even if he wasn't that good at it. It was still fun! His favorite song was one called The Clean Song, and Nohano confided that it was one of his favorites, too. The song was about a mermaid and the ship's crew that caught her, but was full of naughty innuendoes and almost-curses that had Tarun giggling almost as much as singing.

Some of the innuendoes he didn't get, and used the mind-link to ask Xander, who never refused to answer his questions, no matter how naughty the answer was. That had Tarun feeling half gleefully amused, and half revolted. Adults were disgusting sometimes!

After their rehearsal, No Quarter went to a nearby McDonald's for supper, and Tarun spent some time playing on the playground. This McDonald's was one of his favorites; along with the ball pit, tunnels, and mechanical rides that most McDonald's stores had, this one also had a separate playground, a replica of the older McDonald's playgrounds, whose playground equipment was made of actual metal, and shaped like the first McDonald's characters. Tarun was always fascinated with the past, and its relics.

The three of them did not return home until eight or so that evening, and were surprised that Xander and Amaya had not yet returned. Everyone else was back from their activities; Demetrius was complaining about having gotten a sunburn, despite the special sunblock he used and the light clothing he wore to cover his arms and legs. But he didn't look too unhappy; Rashida said they'd found some very old artifacts that her mentor was certain were from the period of the Ice Age.

Suisei had spent the entire day reading or playing computer games, and said the last he'd heard from Xander was when he warned him about Tarun learning the Clean Song, and knowing what all the innuendoes meant. Tarun giggled, clapping a hand over his mouth, but didn't say anything.

"Well, we'll give 'em a little while longer," said Nohano. "You know how Amaya can be; she's a real drill sergeant sometimes when she teaches. Poor Xan's gonna be sore as hell tomorrow after one of her training sessions!"

That was definitely true! She could even tire out Tarun when she was teaching martial arts. "I bet it's cool to use a sword," he said.

"Either me or Rashida can teach you the basics," said Nohano with a grin.

Rashida shot Nohano a sly grin and said, "That should be 'Rashida and I', should it not, Nohano?"

Tarun laughed as Nohano's face turned a dark red, and Tarun remembered all the times that Nohano had drilled Rashida and Demetrius in their English. And now she had corrected him!

"Oh, Rashida is right, Nohano!" said Demetrius, looking highly amused. "The student has gone past of the teacher, this time!"

Nohano gave a long-suffering sigh and rolled his eyes up. But it was clear he wasn't going to live it down any time soon! Tarun was glad that everyone was laughing. After Friday, they needed it. Though once Tarun thought of it, he wondered how he could have forgotten about their friends, imprisoned in the Nether Realm. But they had no way to go and get them! How could they worry constantly, when there was no way to go after them? 'We'll find a way,' Tarun thought fiercely. 'We will.'

He had no idea how right he was.

A half hour later, Xander's mental voice startled Tarun, and added one large problem to the whole situation. Guys? His voice sounded weak and dazed.

Killian, who was in the middle of cooking supper (with Tarun's enthusiastic assistance), stopped what he was doing and frowned in concern. Xander—are you okay? Tarun stopped also, and listened, and had the distinct feeling that not everyone had caught Xander's weak reception. But Tarun and Killian seemed to be best at it.

No—we're in trouble, Killian, said Xander, a little stronger, but sounding dire. It's my father—he attacked me and Amaya from behind with stunner darts—I don't know where we are, or even if we're still in San Francisco!

Killian's eyes widened, and he looked urgently at Tarun. "Go get the others," he said, but Tarun didn't get the chance to go more than a few steps before Demetrius's voice came from the living room. He sounded worried and urgent, too.

"You must come in here and see!" he called. Everyone, come into the living room—we've just been given the way to the Nether Realm!


	13. Through the Fence

CHAPTER 13: Through the Fence

Killian and Tarun stared at each other, before Tarun raced into the living room to see what Demetrius was talking about. Tarun caught mental echoes of what Killian was saying, though for a moment he was far too distracted to listen. He stopped in the entrance from the kitchen to the living room, and stared at the television screen.

A special bulletin was playing, live, having interrupted the movie that Demetrius and Nohano had been watching. The newscaster stood on one of the main streets of San Fransicso, in front of a giant wall of fog. He was reporting that the A-T Squads were out in full force, getting people under cover, and being ready for an attack. Tarun knew that most people didn't remember exactly what happened, but everyone had been warned of the warlords, and of what to look for that heralded a Dynasty attack. The sky was stormy overhead, but there was no sign of the warlords anywhere. Yet.

"What is that?" he asked, wincing in disgust as he looked at it. He didn't know why, but the sight of it made him shiver, and he couldn't stop. He had been a captive himself of Talpa the first time Nohano and the others had encountered one, and had never actually seen it.

Nohano looked up, looking both excited and worried. "It's the fence, Tarun, that we told you guys about. It's the way into the Nether Realm!"

Tarun's own eyes widened. "The Nether Realm! Then we can get in!" A sudden bout of fear overcame him then at the thought of going back in there. They'd certainly have to face the warlords again, and Tarun didn't know if he could do that!

"Yes," said Nohano, standing up and clenching a fist, grinning savagely. "We can get in right now! We need to get Amaya and Xander back here."

Tarun gasped, suddenly remembering, and shook his head urgently. "No! Nohano, Xander's dad's got them!"

"What?"

"He got them from behind when they were practicing—he knows about our beach place somehow! He stunned 'em and—hold on!" He switched to mind speak, becoming aware that Killian was still talking with Xander. Guys! There's a, er, fence on the television, like Nohano and the others got through when they came to rescue us!

Xander's voice was far stronger now, and it suddenly came through to everyone. That's friggin' fantastic! he snarled. That's just fantastic timing—I don't even know where we are, and the bastard's got our armor orbs!

Nohano cursed vehemently. Amaya can't teleport without her armor, can she?

No, came Xander's worried voice. She's not even awake yet—I'm sure she's okay, but she's small, and the stunner was a strong one.

"Great," Killian hissed. "That bloody bastard—now he's really messed things up for us!"

For just a moment, Tarun thought Killian was taking about Xander, but realized soon he wasn't. "Yeah, and he got Amaya, too, so she can't teleport them...you...you don't think that his dad's working for Talpa, do you?"

"No...I don't think so," said Killian softly. "He's not the type Talpa would want for a warlord...is he?"

Tarun personally thought Xander's father would make a great warlord, especially after he'd tried to kill Killian, but he didn't say so. It didn't really matter either way; he had Xan and Amaya. That's what mattered.

Rashida joined everyone else in the living room, while Killian listened from the kitchen, distractedly finishing cooking the meal. The group spent the next half-hour trying to figure out what to do. Yasuo and the other Ronin were caught in Talpa's Nether Realm, and Xander and Amaya were prisoners of some human jerk who had the worst timing in the universe!

Amaya woke soon thereafter and joined the mental discussion. Even Nohano didn't know what to do. The way had been open to rescue Talpa's prisoners, but he didn't want to just leave Xander and Amaya behind! Tarun kept one eye and ear on the television, which was still broadcasting the newscast. Many people had taken cover in personal shelters or the public shelters, but many more had remained on the scene, wanting to see what happened. Things weren't dire enough yet that the Anti-Terrorist Squads were making people leave. Yet. But Tarun knew that they could get that way fast.

"Maybe we should split up?" Tarun suggested, but Nohano shook his head quickly.

"No—I don't want us split up any worse than we have to. We're gonna need every last one of us in the Nether Realm to fight the Dynasty."

Wait. It was Amaya, whose quiet voice quieted everyone else's. She sounded worried and not entirely happy with what she was going to say. Nohano...I think you should go without us. As everyone else voices furious protests, she waited, until they had quieted. Listen. You already know what Yasuo and the others are going through. What my ancestor is going through. I can't bear to think they are enduring this torment for any longer than they have to. Xander and I have not been harmed—Xander's father—I don't know. He's not harmed us, only locked us in his basement. I don't think he truly wants to hurt his son, or me. He's just confused...or...I don't know. We're a lot better off than the others are.

Hell, I think he's doing drugs, said Xander glumly. His eyes are all glazed. I think—hope—I can talk him out of this. But...but Amaya's right. You guys should go. We'll be fine, and if we can get out of here soon enough, we can join the fight as backup.

No one liked the idea at all...but no one could argue the logic. As for Tarun, all it took was the memory of Kale's vision, to realize that Xander was all right. But he still didn't like it.

Okay, Nohano finally agreed, and it was clear he was furious at having to make the decision. Hang tight, Xan—when we get back, we're gonna have a little chat, your dad and me. I guarantee he won't attack any one of us again!

Yeah! exclaimed Tarun furiously. Me too!

Xander's mental voice was tired, but he was obviously touched, as well. Thanks, he said. Now go on—kick some ass for me, huh? And good luck. Without me there, you'll need it!

Xander's arrogance surprised a laugh out of most of them, but it didn't last long. Nohano turned to the others. "Okay, guys...I guess we're going in. Everyone, you've got ten minutes. Grab a pack and grab some rations and a personal hygiene kit. Rashida, grab the main medikit, don't worry about the personal ones. Tarun, you're quickest among us, I need you to go on a scavenger hunt—I'll tell you mentally what we need so you don't have to keep running back. Everyone bring a blanket and your food stores, and be ready!"

Everyone dispersed to their tasks. Killian took the food off the stove and put it into the fridge to keep...if they were back in time to eat it. Tarun took off upstairs to grab his backpack, feeling both very scared and very excited. He'd not seen much of the Nether Realm, nor gone on a rescue mission before. He couldn't wait to see Kale again when he was armored up—he really wanted to face that jerk again!

When Tarun ran into the kitchen, Killian told him to go ahead and get Nohano's list together, and Killian would pack him some rations. Tarun thanked him, and asked through the link what Nohano wanted, and ran through the house getting things like soap, and a tarp, a rope, and a small pair of binoculars that belonged to Suisei. (Nohano said not to bother with a compass or flashlight, because neither of them worked in the Nether Realm.) Ten minutes later, everyone had gathered in the living room. Tarun could feel that everyone was as excited—and even as nervous—as he was.

No one said much as they left the house, and locked it up behind them. Nohano told Xander and Amaya what they were doing as they walked, intending to armor up somewhere away from their house, in case they were spotted. It wouldn't do, as Rashida pointed out, to be seen at their house in full armor.

Nohano called for a halt in a little grove near the beach, where they quietly summoned their armors. Tarun wondered what people were going to think as they walked down the streets, if they would think they were the bad guys, or if they would laugh. It would be very humiliating to be laughed at!

But none of those things happened. What few people they saw on the streets either drew back from them, or actually cheered them. Tarun thought he might be more embarrassed about the cheers than he would about laughter. At least no one tried to stop them.

Tarun marched along in the front with Nohano, trying to feel brave, and trying to remember all the things Amaya taught them. It was hard, sometimes, to remember all the things that he used in practice, when it came right down to it, and he'd not fought for months. What if he was out of practice?

The fence of fog was not difficult to miss. There was a large crowd gathered along the sides of the street, though the A-T Squads were keeping them well back from the fence. People fell silent with surprise as the Ronin approached, and Nohano paid none of them any mind, only walking through them as the people parted to make a path. A small child somewhere called out, "Hi!", which made several people chuckle, and most of the Ronin at least smile. Tarun was glad of it. The tension had been horrible.

The A-T Squad obviously knew who they were, for they let Nohano and the others through with only polite nods, and murmured wishes for luck.

And then they were there. The wall of fog loomed before them, and Tarun shuddered a little, looking up at it in disgust. It was far worse in person than it was on the television. It felt the same way it felt to be in Talpa's presence. Not as severe...but the same feeling.

"All right," said Nohano quietly. "Be careful. There are...phantoms or...something in there. They're not too horrible, though, and they don't like light. So keep that in mind." He was saying this for Demetrius and Tarun's sakes, as neither of them had been there the last time.

"Cool," said Tarun. "Bet that they hate Halo."

Nohano nodded distractedly, and turned to the others. "Okay. Let's go."

And they went.

Tarun took a big breath, stepping into the vile wall of fog, his sling in his hand, loaded with one of his bright, exploding balls of ammunition. The moment he stepped through the unnaturally flat edge of the fog, he could no longer see anyone around him; fog swirled opaquely around him, obscuring everything, even his own hand. Nohano?

It's okay, we're all still here. The fog just hides everything. Once we get through, it'll be okay.

Oh, well that was better. Tarun relaxed significantly, and continued walking, though for all he knew, he was walking in circles. For a minute, nothing happened; all Tarun could hear was the clanking of their boots, weirdly distorted by the smoke-like fog. For a minute, Tarun was certain they were going to get through without a problem, before there was a yell of alarm from Rashida. Tarun tensed, raising his weapon, straining his eyes to catch sight of anything moving, anything like a ghost, or a phantom...

Demetrius snarled a curse in Russian, and suddenly there was pressure around Tarun's neck. He gave a yowl of startlement, bursting into a sprint, and breaking the thing's grip. He spun around, catching sight of a wispy, man-like figure with glowing eyes, leering at him. He yelled again, stumbling back at the thing shot at him, and let loose with his sling, right into the thing's face. The round exploded, sending a burst of light rays, dispersing the fog for just a second. He caught sight of the blue of Torrent—Killian was fighting one of them too—and then the fog closed back in. The thing cackled, the sound unearthly and eerie.

Tarun did not have time to think. Suddenly, he was surrounded by the creatures, using every bit of his speed to keep from their grasp, hurling his power rounds with his sling as quickly as he could. He couldn't tell if he was going deeper into the fog, or heading back out into the street; the noise echoed everywhere, and he couldn't tell where anyone else was, either. It was like it always had been when he fought; he didn't think, he could only react, relying on instinct, and his training. Best of all, the fear faded. He didn't have any room for it in his mind!

A wisp of fog snaked around his ankle, yanking him off his feet. He let a yell of protest, swinging a fist, but hitting nothing but fog. The things' laughter rang around him like a solid thing, and Tarun was suddenly flung through the air. He grunted as he landed hard on the ground, face down, grimacing as he scrambled to his feet. He snarled an insult to them, grabbing another round for his sling, and letting them have it.

The phantoms could be hurt, that much was obvious. When the rounds hit them, they shrieked, and Tarun could catch brief glimpses of the others' weapons hitting the phantasms as well, heard other shrieks from the within the fog.

A frightening thing happened, then. He heard a cry of pain from Suisei, and turned, his eyes going wide. Suisei! Are you okay? He ducked down from a phantom's attack, sprinting several yards away, hearing a similar cry of pain from Nohano as well. Wisps of red wafted from the fog, and for one awful moment, Tarun thought it was blood. But no, it was fog, like the fence itself. But why red?

A trap! The trap IS the fence! Nohano called. They'd known they'd be walking into a trap, but they'd expected to have more warning, more time to prepare for it!

Tarun heard a groan of pain, and a chill went through him; what was happening to the others? He spun around, his eyes darting from side to side, trying to spot what it was. Suisei!

Run, Tarun, it's Sekhmet! His poisons, don't let it touch you!

Sekhmet! Was he there? How could he poison them? With a cry of fear, Tarun recoiled from another of the red wisps, sprinting once more away from the threat. The others were yelling now, making Tarun feel cold—had they all been poisoned? What was it doing to them? He ran around the fog, trying to find them, to free, them, to help them somehow! But the phantoms were still there, always there, blocking Tarun's way, diving at him so that he had to defend himself every second. They grabbed as his arms and legs, his throat, his sling and his armor.

Suddenly, things went quiet, and Tarun stopped short in dismay. He heard nothing from the mind link, could not hear the others' voices, or the clank of their armor. "Suisei!" he shrieked, not caring now who heard them. He had the awful fear that they'd been killed. "Suisei!"

His distraction cost him. One of the miserable phantoms dove at him, grabbing him around the throat; another grabbed his legs, lifting him off of the ground. He yowled, fighting, but their grip was like iron; he couldn't sprint to break their grip, and his sling rounds would hurt him badly as well, if he tried to use them at close range! For a moment he was afraid that he'd be killed too, and then the phantoms gave a great heave, flinging Tarun violently through the air once more.

A thrill of exhilaration and fear swooped Tarun's gut as he fell, the height greater than four meters, and he caught a sudden, brief glimpse of the concrete before he hit.

Something thudded against the side of his face as he landed, numbing it; the cement knocked the breath out of him, stunning him for several seconds. He gasped in air as the muscles of his stomach began to ease up in spasms, and he clenched his teeth against tears. He looked down, appalled at the cracks he'd left in the sidewalk, and staggered shakily to his feet.

For a moment, he didn't know what had happened; he thought he'd been flung out of the fence, back onto the street. He saw the worried faces of the citizens, the surprised expressions of the A-T Squad members, hidden behind bulletproof masks. Tarun spun around to dash back into the fog-fence, and stopped short, gaping in disbelief.

The fence was gone.


	14. The Barrier Rent

CHAPTER 14: The Barrier Rent

Tarun stared for at least a minute, not noticing the whispers, the gasps from the people, not noticing how the sky above stayed overcast...even growing darker. The sun was beginning to set, but it shouldn't be getting dark so quickly! Tarun's first reaction was panic; they were all gone! Not dead—they had to be in the Nether Realm. But why had the phantoms not allowed Tarun in? He was absolutely certain he'd been thrown from the fence deliberately, and he couldn't understand why.

"What happened?" asked one of the A-T Squad, and Tarun turned around to face them, feeling his face grow suddenly hot. He only then realized how ridiculous he must have looked, being tossed unceremoniously from the fight like an unwelcome alley cat. He glanced down to see his backpack, and distractedly picked it up.

"He won't know," said another of the squad dismissively. "He's just a kid—the leader's gone into that...that fogbank, or whatever it is."

Tarun's face burned more fiercely at this casual disregard, and he glared for just a moment. He didn't have the time for hurt feelings; something horrible was going to happen, and he was all alone here! Amaya and Xan were somewhere else, and all of the others had been sucked into the Nether Realm! He looked up at the sky, which was darkening even as he gazed at it, and he began to shiver. He looked right at the A-T- Squad, not sure who was in charge, and so speaking to all of them. "Get people in the shelters!" he said urgently. He remembered all too well what had happened the last time, how they'd come down and destroyed the town, how they'd taken people captive, and killed people...

One woman cocked her head, frowning concernedly. "What is happening?"

"I don't know," said Tarun. "But something is happening. Like last time, like in September!" Fear crossed the faces of the A-T Squad, and the faces of the crowd. "So you gotta get people safe. I gotta find my friends!" He didn't give them a chance to argue; he turned towards home and sprinted away from the site, zipping around buildings and down the streets, leaving startled and bewildered people in his wake.

Tarun didn't stop until he'd found an empty house, and snuck into the backyard, banishing his main armor, and then his riot gear. He didn't like being uncovered, but he didn't want to draw attention to himself either. Amaya!

Tarun, what's happening? asked Amaya. Where are all the others? They've been cut off!

Nether Realm, said Tarun nervously, glancing around. The wind was picking up, and he heard the waves crashing against the bay not too far away. I didn't get through the fence, they threw me out before I could. The phantom things in the fence. Startled silence greeted this information. I'm gonna go home, said Tarun. Something bad's happening, and I don't like it. I don't like it at all. And home's safer than out here in the middle of everywhere...right?

That's what I'd do, said Xander, and Tarun could tell that he was worried, too, but trying not to show it. I don't know why they wouldn't want you in the realm—hell, Kale gave you the message to begin with!

I dunno, said Tarun unhappily as he began to jog towards the Ronin Warriors' house. Maybe I'm too little to bother with. He ducked, startled, as something wet hit his shoulder, and sighed as it began to rain. He increased his jog into a run, bolting across the two blocks that separated him from the house. They sure aren't scared of me, he added as their front yard came into view.

I'm not so sure, said Amaya slowly. Kale is a warlord of darkness. I think there is a reason, Tarun, that he targets you more than the others. You and Rashida. You are both spirits of light, she of light and wisdom, you of hope and the light of day. They are things that oppose his darkness, and can vanquish it. The entire Nether Realm is a realm of darkness.

That only made sense to an extent; Amaya was of the night. Not corrupted, but still of the darkness! The Dynasty wouldn't fear dark, would it? 'Well, but it wasn't the Dynasty that kept them out.' Tarun frowned, skittering up the front steps, and turning the handle of the doorknob. He blinked when it did not turn, and cursed; of course they had locked the doors! "Please let me have my key," he murmured, kneeling down and opening his backpack. For a moment he thought he did not have it, but when he opened a side pocket, there it was, his house key, and he grasped it thankfully. That would be the final indignity to the whole thing, being locked out of his house.

It took a couple of tries to get the key into the lock, because Tarun's hands were shaking. He stepped in and closed the door firmly behind him, locking it. But he did not feel safe. The house was big and empty, and Tarun felt more alone than ever; he couldn't remember ever having been in the house alone before. If he hadn't been able to talk with Amaya and Xan...

You okay, kiddo? Xan asked, concerned.

Y-yeah. I just don't like this house empty. It's wrong, empty. He suddenly felt sorry for Nohano, who was usually alone during the day while people went to work and school.

Tarun? Amaya's voice was suddenly shaky and uneasy. Go to Suisei's computer and look something up for me?

Okay... Puzzled, Tarun ran into the study and powered up Suisei's computer, waiting for Amaya to tell him what to look up. That strange sense of uncertainty was threatening again, and he began to shake. Something was going to happen, and every second brought him nearer to it.

Look up 'solar eclipses.' I want to know when the next one will be.

Tarun blinked; solar eclipses? At first it seemed like a completely unrelated thing, but he went ahead and looked it up just the same. He went to one of the many astronomy web sites that Suisei had marked down in his computer, and typed in "solar eclipse", after making sure he had spelled it right.

What he found out was frightening. There had been no solar eclipse expected that month at all, much less a total eclipse, but there was a news story that came up when he typed in the words. The news story had been posted only minutes before. Today, said Tarun, stunned. But—but there wasn't supposed to be one! It says that the astronomers are really surprised...the moon started crossing over the sun five minutes ago! But it's on the other side of the world... It was dark in California, but that didn't mean it wasn't daylight elsewhere. That doesn't make any sense! He saw something else, too, that unnerved him. The cloud cover was everywhere in the world, and there were mentions of something like nuclear winter; Tarun didn't know what that was, but it still sent chills over his body. It says that there's almost 100 percent cloud cover over the whole earth. That's bad, right?

It's bad, said Amaya urgently. And it does make sense, I think! Tarun, you must find a way to find us—we three are alone here, now. We will need to be ready, Tarun. The Dynasty will attack again, and it will be far worse this time.

Tarun bit his lip, his chest tight, and he took a big breath. The enormity of the task, and the fear of doing it alone was terrifying. What do I do?

Amaya sighed in frustration. I don't know. We were unconscious when we were brought here; even we don't know where we are. We're still in the city, else our mind links wouldn't be working—they don't work beyond a certain distance. But it's a big city!

It was a big city! Where's Xan's dad?

We haven't seen him yet, said Xander disgustedly. He's got us in the basement on a cot. We're chained to it by ankle cuffs, and the cot's chains to the support beam. Tarun bit his lip at the thought of his friends being chained up. Well we saw him once. Right after we woke up, he came down, but didn't say anything. Like I said earlier, he looked like he'd been doing...drugs or something.

His eyes were glazed, you say? said Amaya slowly. And Tarun...the sky outside is cloudy?

Yeah.

Have you seen any Nether Spirits?

Tarun shook his head, realized they couldn't see him shaking his head, and said No, into the mind link. His head began to pound with frustration. Amaya didn't say anything else just then, and Tarun suddenly stood. I'm gonna get something warm on—it's cold out, now. I can't stay here and find you, I gotta...gotta go out and look!

Wait! said Xander suddenly. My c-phone!

Tarun frowned. What about it?

My father took it, but I bet it's still in the house—if it is...you should be able to locate us with Suisei's computer! The GPS system! All c-phones have them now, it's a law, and Suisei's got the software on his computer! Do you know how to use it?

No—I never even heard of it. Can you tell me how?

I think so. First you'll need to find the program on the computer. You'll need to bring it with you—I know Suisei's got a sling of some kind for using the computer while on your feet—and I should be able to coach you from there.

It's raining out...

That's okay; the laptop's waterproof.

Oh! Well that made it easier. Hold on...hold on a sec. Tarun stood up, taking a big breath, and ran into his room. He took off his shorts, sandals, and T-Shirt, replacing them with jeans, a long-sleeved pullover shirt, and a sturdy pair of sneakers. He made sure he had his armor orb and his house key, and grabbed a baseball hat to put on as well. No need to make it easy to recognize him! A rain jacket completed his gear.

He ran into the kitchen to grab a few more rations and a bottle of water (they'd forgotten water!), then returned to the study. Once he'd put everything away in the backpack and put it on, once he'd found the computer sling and figured out how to work it, he stood up. Tarun was terrified, but excitement thrummed through his body too, making him bounce restlessly on his heels. He felt ready, then; he was scared, yes, but he had this mission all to himself, and he was excited.

The boy jogged over to the front door and slipped out, locking it behind him. Okay, he said. Tell me what to do.

---

Nohano had never felt the full might of Sekhmet's venom before—only briefly, in battle, from the warlord's katana. But when he first saw the wisps of red among the black, even without Suisei's warning shout, he'd know it was him. The acrid, toxic smell, the taint, the evil that oozed from it. He'd tried to avoid the wisps, but it was far too late; all of them had gone too far, and they'd been snared.

At first it was only pain, a deep, sharp, burning pain, stopping him in his tracks. He cried out, gasping in a breath, suddenly fighting simply to breathe through lungs that had seemed to freeze, with muscles that had seized up in painful paralysis.

The cries of the others told him they'd been caught too, and dismay overcame his heart when he realized he'd led every one of them into a trap, and that they'd probably die for it! Even the mind link was severed, cut off by the horrible, tainted energy of Venom's vile creations.

The pain increased, but Nohano could not cry out; every bit of his concentration was focused on forcing breath into his lungs, on keeping the blackness from overwhelming him. His vision cleared, suddenly, but the pain and paralysis remained, and he understood that the fence had dissipated; they'd made the transition into the Nether Realm. But they weren't alone. Talpa's warlords, all ten of them, stood on the stone, every last one of them sneering or smirking behind the masks of their armor.

Nohano snarled, instantly regretting it, as the breath left his lungs, and he had to fight painfully to regain it. When Dais walked up and relieved him of his katana, he was helpless to stop him, in fact hardly noticed it. When chains snaked around his body, cinching tightly around him, he groaned in discomfort, squeezing his eyes shut and fighting panic—a fine job he'd done. Brilliant, leading them all right into the hands of the enemy. But how could he have known? Last time Talpa had let them come to him!

Hands on his shoulders, startling him, but he could not turn around to see who it was. But astonishingly, the awful paralysis that had frozen his entire body began to rapidly ease, loosing its hold on his chest, releasing his limbs from their stiff, awkward bonds. Nohano gasped in breath, feeling nothing for a moment except gratitude as his mind cleared, and suddenly sensed a return of their mental link. The chains still bound him, but for the moment he didn't care, just so he could breathe!

He looked warily around, catching sight of Sekhmet with his hands now on Suisei's shoulders, and realized it was he who'd cleared out the gaseous venom that they'd been assaulted with. Sensing Nohano's gaze, Sekhmet turned and smirked behind his mask. "Wouldn't want you to die before we're ready," he said with a laugh.

Nohano narrowed his eyes furiously. "Oh, yeah?" It wasn't the cleverest of replies, but Nohano was all out of 'clever' for the time being.

Hands suddenly lifted his helmet off and he spun around, losing his balance and falling hard to the stone. The Italian warlord stood behind him, smiling humorlessly, and Nohano scowled. "Damn it, what is it you want?"

The Italian laughed. "You will see soon, amico. Our master has ordered your capture." Grinning, he slammed Nohano's helmet back down on his head hard enough to click his teeth together, and Nohano yelped, growling both with startled pain and sudden anger. How humiliating!

"No kidding!" came Killian's angry voice; he was still standing, though bound neck to feet as Nohano was. "You tell that bloody pile of empty tin that we're not impressed with his reception!"

Half of the warlords laughed amusedly at Killian's anger, though it was obvious that the other half were angry at his insults to their lord. Nohano wondered suddenly if it was their armor that Talpa wanted, and felt a moment of smugness; they had not all come through the barrier! Two of them had stayed behind; perhaps Xander's father had done them an inadvertent favor.

Tarun's not here!

Suisei's sudden, worried mental voice caught Nohano's attention, and he swept his gaze quickly over the group; Suisei was right! Tarun wasn't there! But why? Had he not made it through the fence? Had he been killed? Had he been taken somewhere else?

Nohano was not given time to wonder for very long. The last of his group had been revived and tightly bound, and the warlords circled them all. Before Nohano could say anything at all, even through the link with Suisei, bright, reddish light enveloped the whole group. Warlord and Ronin alike were swallowed up, and Nohano felt a gut-wrenching, horrible swooping sensation that lasted less than a second...

...and then he was sitting down in a chair, stuck as if he were bound still, but the chains were gone. The room was tiny, only a small, round chamber with nothing in it but the chair he sat in, and a trapdoor in the floor that seemed to lead into a room below.

Nohano had no idea where he was, or where the others were, but he was happy at the moment to be away from the warlords. His head ached, thanks to that Italian creep slamming his helmet on it, but the pain from the venom had faded, and he didn't seem to have taken any injuries.

Nohano?

Killian! Yeah! I'm here. Everyone sound off. He closed his eyes in relief as he heard the others chiming into the mind link one by one, and none of them sounded too bad off, either. Are you guys in weird tower thingies?

Yeah! said Killian. What the hell, anyway?

You got me. Are you guys alone?

Yeah," said several of them at once, and Suisei added, Thankfully. I've seen enough of those goons, but I'm worried about this. Why weren't we brought to Talpa? Where are we? And what could have happened to Tarun? He was right there with us. You don't think...they've done something to him, do you?

Nohano realized that Suisei feared that Tarun was dead, and Nohano hoped with all his heart that it wasn't so. I don't think so, he finally said. It'd be stupid. Talpa wants all the armors. I think he needs the bearers alive to use them.

That means he's still in danger, fretted Suisei. If he somehow escaped the fog, Talpa's gonna go after him, and with Xan and Amaya dealing with Xander's miserable father, he's alone!

Calm, my friend, said Rashida. He's a tough boy, and he will be all right. He's safer now than we are.

I guess you have a point.

But Suisei was still not very happy, and Nohano didn't blame him. He was feeling pretty lousy himself, feeling responsible, as he always did, when things went wrong. He noticed then, that light was coming into the chamber from somewhere, and he frowned, craning his neck to look behind him. A window was cut into the tower behind his head, a window with no glass, letting in the dim, unearthly light of the Nether World's alien sky. Suisei was right; it was a fantastic vista above them, but right at the moment it only made Nohano feel nervous. From what he could see in his awkward position, he was up very high, and though he wasn't afraid of heights, it was still a little dizzying. 'Great. The Nether Realm's version of the Space Needle,' he thought, sighing, and thinking of the restaurant he'd visited once when he and No Quarter had been on tour. It was at the top of a very high skyscraper, and this tower reminded him absurdly of it.

For a good, long time, nothing happened. Nohano had tried several times to get up from the chair, or to tip the chair over, even to break the wood it was made of, but none of it worked. He was bound fast, by some force he couldn't understand. Boredom began to sink in as the light outside began to dim, and the hours passed. 'Musta been nearly night here too when we were sucked through,' he thought dismally. But a sudden mental exclamation from Killian made him think otherwise.

Crikey—the sun's eclipsing!

Nohano blinked. It is?

It is! Demetrius exclaimed. Nohano wondered where they were, that they could see the sun at all. Something is moving in front of it to block the light—but does this place have a moon, to cover the sun? Is it a magical eclipse?

Could be either one, said Rashida thoughtfully; her mental voice was calm, but anxiety thrummed through the link just the same. I don't like it. Try to keep an eye on it...not that we can do anything. But I want to know what happens.

Suisei growled angrily, and Nohano understood his frustration. He hated being helpless, and he hated not knowing what was going on—and he wasn't sure which he hated more! Struggling had gotten him nowhere, and cussing up a blue streak had gotten him about the same...though it had made him feel marginally better. Rashida was right though, Nohano could feel it, too, even if he couldn't see it; the eclipse was bad, and he didn't know why.

An eclipse, murmured Rashida. Amaya—she spoke of an eclipse in her stories of Talpa and the Ronin! Talpa—he needed an eclipse to merge the worlds together!

Great, Suisei muttered.

But...did he not also need all armors to do this thing? Demetrius asked, as calm as ever. We are not all here.

Nohano felt a sudden, horrible chill go through him. Demetrius was wrong; they were all there so far as Talpa was concerned. He felt a jolt of horrified dismay from Rashida as she realized the same thing. Oh, no. Demetrius, he does need the armor—but not all of it! That's why he captured Yasuo! Not just to bring us here—he needed his armor, the Loyalty armor! Tarun's and Amaya's and Xan's armor are all newly-created. The armor Talpa needs are the original nine!

What happens if the worlds meld? demanded Killian fearfully. What happens to us? To...to Earth, for that matter!

I don't know, Rashida said quietly, sounding as if she might be about to cry, something Nohano had never seen. But I fear for them. I fear for our world—and us helpless here!

I should have known! snarled Nohano, furious with himself as well as with Talpa.

We knew we would be walking into a trap, said Demetrius softly. Do not blame yourself. None of us could know they would be able to catch us within the fence itself. And Suisei—take heart. It likely means that Tarun is safe. Talpa would not want him here; the armor he bears could be a threat. I wonder now if Xander's father is working with the Dynasty, to keep Xan and Amaya away.

He might be okay right now, muttered Suisei darkly. And he might not. But if the worlds do meld...

Be ready! Demetrius's tone went from calm to urgent, which sent a chill through Nohano's body. Demetrius's voice rarely sounded like that, and when it did, it meant that things were bad. Or would be. The sun has nearly been covered!

Nohano bit his lip, straining around to look outside; the sky was almost completely black, with streaks of sick, darkish yellow blazing across it like some malignant aurora. He tasted blood, only then feeling pain from his lip, and grimaced, letting go of it with his teeth. A deep, pulsing energy began to run through him, spiking his heart rate, sending panic through his spirit. The mind link was suddenly severed, stunning him with its suddenness as the raw pulsing grew stronger, until it felt like it must soon tear him apart. There was no pain, but Nohano would have rather endured the pain; the rending was soul-deep, unnatural and hateful, as if his very spirit were being ripped apart. Panic raged through his mind.

Light flared brightly outside, and Nohano barely registered it as the sky outside went suddenly black. He tried to scream as the thrumming increased yet more, blasting through him rending...rending something that he couldn't comprehend. A flash of dull, red light, and Nohano felt suddenly chilly, his eyes widening in horrified astonishment as the Wildfire armor suddenly lifted whole from his body. It was drawn away from him as if it were nothing but an illusion, drawn away from his body towards the front wall of the tower room, and an awful hollowness filled him. Faintness began to wash over him, the deep exhaustion he'd felt when he'd overexerted himself wearing the Inferno armor, and he realized before succumbing to it that what he'd felt was not the rending of his own spirit...but of Wildfire being ripped from it.


	15. Solo Mission

Suisei's GPS tracker was a big pain in the neck. Xan had taken Tarun through the steps of getting the program up and centering it on Xander's c-phone, and explained how the map worked. It wasn't easy to follow the map, and Tarun felt half-dizzy from looking up at street signs, then down at the map, then looking around to make sure he wasn't being stalked by anything, then down at the map. He stumbled on curbs and tree roots, and was thoroughly irritated after ten minutes.

But the map was working. A little dot on the screen showed him where he was, and though several times he had to backtrack, locating certain streets (especially since some didn't have street signs on them), he was making good time. He'd written down the name of the street that the GPS system was tracking to, and the nearest cross street, and put the paper in his pocket.

He wasn't sure how to read the miles on the map, but it was clear that Xan and Amaya weren't close. They were in San Francisco, but San Francisco sure looked a lot smaller on a map than when you had to walk the entire way!

Once Tarun got the hang of reading the map, Xander had stopped giving him instructions, helping out only when Tarun got stuck, or had a question about the streets. Neither Amaya nor Xander knew San Francisco very well, but they had a better idea of how the streets worked, and could at least offer helpful advice. Tarun complained several times about missing street signs.

The streets were dark and deserted, the bright streetlights doing little to drive away the gloom. It wasn't foggy out...it was just gloomy, as if the darkness was something solid, like a cloak or a blanket. The people that had been outside, watching, were gone for the most part, and any that Tarun did see lurking about, he avoided. Even the humans could feel it, the wrongness, the horrible, waiting tension, the knowledge that something had been set in motion that couldn't be stopped. The rain had stopped, but lightning was flashing overhead, disturbingly colored. 'Red—I don't like red lightning!'

The clock on the laptop read midnight when Tarun neared his destination. He had been walking for an hour and a half, and was glad to see that he was close.

In between checking his direction and getting instructions from the GPS, Tarun found a news web site and saw with a chill that the increasing clouds and the unexpected eclipse were making news headlines everywhere. The eclipse was nearly at totality, watched by orbital satellites, and the fact that it had been so excruciatingly long had people scared. Not a normal eclipse, Tarun muttered.

I think you are very right, Tarun, said Amaya. I think it's Talpa. He's trying to meld the worlds into one.

What if he does?

I don't know. I don't think we can stop it. And I don't know if it can be undone.

That was not good news. Tarun said nothing more as he walked, watching the GPS and the website's live reports, and trying to keep himself somewhat under cover to avoid notice. With the sky above roiling like an angry sea, it would be impossible to tell if the warlords had come through to the mortal world, and he didn't want to be surprised.

Tarun was five blocks away when the street suddenly went pitch black, and Tarun stopped dead, his eyes widening, his heart beating fast. From Amaya and Xan's startled mental exclamations, the power outtage was there, too!

The Dynasty!

An ear-shattering crash of thunder made Tarun scream, clapping his hands over his ears and looking up frantically at the sky. Lightning flashed every few seconds, illuminating the dark streets in hellish, red-orange light, throwing shadows into sharp relief. Suisei's laptop had gone dark as well, and Tarun realized it wasn't going to work again until the Dynasty was gone; whatever was going to happen had begun.

Shaking, Tarun knelt on the still-damp street, hastily removing the computer sling and shoving it and the laptop into his backpack. He stood again, grasping the armor orb and summoning his riot gear; it was bright and noticeable, but he didn't care about that any more. He felt far safer with it on as he began to carefully walk down the street again, squinting to pick out obstacles in his path, trying to find the street he needed.

Are you close? asked Amaya worriedly.

Yes! But the computer stopped! I—I think I can find it, though!

Okay. Listen carefully, Tarun. I am almost certain that Xan's father had been possessed by a Nether Spirit. Tarun stopped short once more, a chill going down his spine. You will want to be armored up when you approach here, I think. I don't know if there are other Nether Spirits here, but if there are, you'll need to fight them off. You will need to get past Xan's father without killing him. Remember he's being possessed, he can't help what he's doing.

Tarun bit his lip, unable to answer for a good long time. He'd seen the Nether Spirits, up close and personal, and he didn't know if they could be fought! And if they possessed Tarun... He shook his head and answered back as he ducked into an alleyway to armor up. Once in full armor, he felt a little better, and he got his weapon ready to use.

Tarun knew the house when he saw it. He didn't know how he knew, but as soon as he neared, he did. He let Amaya and Xander know he was there, walking up to the door and pausing there for just a moment. If it was the wrong house, he was going to feel very foolish.

But it wasn't.

The door was locked, which didn't surprise Tarun very much. He considered trying to break it down, thinking one of his sling rounds would do the trick, but then he would be walking blind into the house...and he didn't know where Xander's father was. Finally he just shrugged and knocked on the door, dashing off to the side and hiding behind a droopy-looking bush in the side yard.

To his astonishment, it worked. The door opened, and Tarun caught a brief glimpse of a tall man with brown hair and blank, green eyes that seemed to glow faintly in the gloom. Tarun stepped out from behind the bush, not even realizing he'd intended to do it, and called, "Hey!" His heart was thudding in his chest and his legs were shaking, but the fear seemed to be taking a break; he only felt excited and ultra-alert. "I'm over here, you big creep!"

Xander's father turned, eyes widening in surprise, as Tarun took out a round from his pouch. The man snapped his hand up, a flash of lightning revealing a handgun in it, and Tarun yelled in alarm, diving behind the corner of the house. There was a high-pitched hissing, and a flash of light exploded where Tarun had just been standing. 'Stunners! He doesn't wanna kill me!' But why?

Tarun dashed back out into the open, flinging a round at the man's feet; light flared as it exploded, knocking the man onto the ground, but he sprang to his feet immediately, firing the gun at Tarun again. It collided with Tarun's breastplate, the energy dissipating across the metal, but Tarun felt nothing; laughing in delighted relief, Tarun ran at the man, his sling spinning furiously.

The fight was not a difficult one. Xan's father was without a doubt possessed by a Nether Spirit; he looked just the way Demetrius and Killian had when they'd been possessed, but he was still a human and he knew nothing about fighting. He was out of shape, and even a Nether Spirit could not make his body do things beyond its ability. Tarun knew how to fight, and his aim with the sling was sharp and accurate. Using only his lowest-power rounds, Tarun kept up a steady barrage assault on the man, using the near-constant lightning to guide his aim, ducking the stunner shots and protecting his face. He'd stopped trying to think, and worked only on instinct; it served him in battle for more than trying to anticipate the enemy's next move! That was more Rashida's way of fighting.

The fight lasted for five minutes, maybe less. One of Tarun's rounds finally hit the man in the chest, and he fell, the gun falling from his hand and thudding to the ground. Tarun sprinted to it and kicked it as hard as it could, sending it into the shadows. He gasped, recoiling, as a sickly-yellow shadow fled the man's body, a wave of fury emanating from it; Tarun readied to attack it, but the thing didn't stick around. It flew into the air, disappearing into the clouds.

Shaken, Tarun looked at the man, unable to keep an elated smile off of his face. A victory—his opponent had not been a skilled fighter, or even a powerful one, but still. He wasn't used to being victorious.

For a moment he wasn't sure what to do with the man, who seemed to be okay...just unconscious. After a moment, he just left him there; he couldn't pick him up to move him, anyway, and it wasn't as if he'd be any safer inside if things went bad.

I'm coming in! The spirit left your dad, he's okay.

Elation and glee from the mind link, and Xander's voice telling he'd done well. You'll have to find his keys—the keys to these damned cuffs are there.

Keys... Okay. Tarun ducked into the house, frowning, and wished that he had a torch or something that would give him some bloody light! He threw open all of the curtains, hoping to use the lightning from outside, and it helped a little. Fortunately the keys were not hidden; they sat on the kitchen table in plain sight. Xan's father (or rather the spirit inside him) had obviously not expected to be found. Tarun grabbed the keys and began trying out doors.

The door to the basement was in the kitchen itself, and he opened it cautiously. "Amaya?" he called before stepping onto the top stair.

He heard relieved, half-amazed laughter from below, and smiled. They were there! "Yeah, it's us!" Xan called. "Get us the hell out of this smelly basement!"

Tarun laughed in relief, his voice a little higher than normal, and clomped onto the wooden stairs.

He let out a yell as the staircase creaked—a split-second's warning—and splintered, collapsing suddenly under Tarun's weight. He sprinted forward, but wasn't quite fast enough; the staircase had already fallen, and Tarun landed hard on the cement floor. He was not hurt; in full armor he had more than enough protection, and it wasn't nearly as bad as the fall he'd taken earlier—but he was still sore from that! "Ow..."

"Tarun! Are you okay?"

Tarun took off his helmet and rubbed his head, which was suddenly aching. He scowled, and stood up, squinting his eyes in the gloom. The flashes of lightning from upstairs did very little to light the basement, and Tarun could only hear his friends, not see them. "Yeah, I'm okay, Xan. I think he booby-trapped it!" He began to feel his way towards Xander's voice.

"I wouldn't doubt it," said Xan. "This way...be careful, there's crap all over the floor."

There was, too. Though Tarun could see none of it, he could feel things against his feet, and he was kicking them out of the way as he walked. But finally he came to the cot, nearly falling over it, and felt a hand on his arm. He started, but realized quickly it was Amaya, and he leaned forward to hug her. "I'm glad I found you," Tarun said, his voice unsteady. "It's scary out there!"

"I don't doubt it." said Amaya quietly.

Tarun drew back and fumbled with the keys in his hands for a minute before scowling and pushing them into Amaya's hands. "I can't use these in armor!" The gauntlets were awkward and clumsy, and he couldn't feel the keys, anyway. For that matter, he wasn't sure he knew what a handcuff key looked like.

A jingle of keys, a soft clocking, and a "Ha! Finally!" from Xan told Tarun he'd gotten free of the cuff. Tarun bounced restlessly on his heels, his instinct to go and DO something making him more restless than usual. A second jingle and click, this time much quicker, and Amaya was free, too.

"We must get our armor orbs," said Amaya.

"I think I can sense it if I get close," said Xan, "but how do we get out of here? I don't think I can jump that high without my armor on."

"Don't worry," said Amaya, and Tarun felt the weight on the little cot shift as she stood up. She groaned as her back cracked, and then she stretched. "I am very glad to be freed of this. We can pile things to stand on, to get out," she said. "And then we will find the spheres."

Getting out of the basement was as easy as Amaya had said, and they all soon stood in the kitchen, looking dazed. "I'm...gonna go check on my dad, okay?" said Xander.

"Be careful," said Amaya. "We will look for the spheres."

Xan nodded, orange light from outside flashing weirdly on his red hair, and he slipped out of the kitchen. Tarun heard the door opening, then looked to Amaya, who looked pale and worried. Still she managed to turn to Tarun and smile, drawing him into a hug. "You did very well, Tarun—I'm proud of you!"

Tarun felt himself blush at the praise; Amaya did not freely give out praise—it wasn't her way—and so when she did compliment him he knew he had truly done well. "Thanks," he said with a grin.

"Let's look for those orbs. He must have kept them nearby; Xan is right, we can sense them." Tarun knew that was right, too. He could sense where his was, the rare times it was out of his sight, so he wasn't too worried. He was almost glad to let someone else take charge, because being on his own had been frightening, but he was also a little regretful. He'd liked doing that by himself. Terrifying or not, it had been fun.

Amaya did not find the spheres until she and Tarun had felt their way to the master bedroom of the little house, where Amaya began pulling out drawers. Tarun wrinkled his nose when she began hauling pairs of underwear out of one, tossing them on the floor, but he could not hold in his giggles when she found the power orbs there. He could not stop as she held the orbs up, looking at them in disgust, and flinging the underwear that had been draped over them. She sighed, shaking her head.

A great jolt suddenly shook the house, nearly throwing the two of them off balance, and they exchanged a startled look. Tarun realized that the floor was shaking ever so slightly, and wondered wildly if they were going to have an earthquake.

Guys! Xander's mental voice was strained and frightened. Get out here!

Amaya and Tarun ran to the front door, jumping down the porch steps, and gaped in horror at what they saw.

Xan was kneeling on the wet grass outside near his unconscious father, but Tarun hardly saw them. The ground began to shake more violently, and there were some buildings that cracked or even fell from the tremors, and the street itself began to crack. Amaya let a yell of startlement, leaping back away from the spider's web of cracks, but they did not run very deep. The concrete of the sidewalk and the hottop of the street were being ripped open, as if they were made of cloth, and the ground was showing through from beneath, looking for a moment like the flesh of some weird insect breaking through an exoskeleton. The ground showing through was grayish and lifeless.

Even that was not the worst of it. What Xander was gaping at, what Amaya and Tarun stared at in horror, was the sky.

The clouds were parting, but Tarun wanted nothing more to have them back right then, lightning and all. Where the clouds parted were great rends in the sky, as if it was not a vast sea of air, but a solid thing, like the shell of an egg. Stars and midnight blue sky showed through the unnatural rends, but Tarun saw right away they were not stars he could find on any of Suisei's astronomy websites.

"No," Amaya whispered.

"That's not possible!" cried Xan plaintively, shaking his head back and forth. "That's just not possible---the sky can't just—tear like that!"

But it was. Deep, dark yellow began to show through, and something else. A ring of fire that at first Tarun could not identify. He realized what it was a second before Amaya shouted: "The eclipse!" But it wasn't an eclipse of Sol, the sun Tarun saw everyday. It was bigger, duller, and frightening. It was the sun of the Nether Realm, the sun that Tarun only barely remembered seeing in the brief time after Talpa had kicked them out of his palace, and before they'd returned to the mortal world.

As Tarun watched in horrified fascination, a mountain range began to grow—just grow—out of the ground several miles away, crumbling buildings and ripping up streetlights and roads. Cliffs and crags grew from the earth, melting into the buildings and roads, until the landscape looked like a horrible, twisted, nightmare of San Francisco. The Golden Gate Bridge was barely visible on the bay, but right next to it was a spire of rock that had never been there before.

The rumbling did not stop, and below that was another sound, an unnatural ripping sound, a sound that Tarun had never heard in his life, and never wanted to hear again. "The barrier," whispered Amaya. Tarun began to shake, taking hold of Amaya's hand and holding tightly to it. Amaya's face was dead pale, and Xander was still shaking his head as if to deny the reality.

"Barrier?" Xander demanded, his voice high and strained as he jerked his head around to look at them; his eyes were wide and bright. "What barrier?"

"Between the dimensions," said Amaya shakily. "Arago's done it—he has joined the two worlds."


	16. Face to Face

CHAPTER 16: Face to Face

Consciousness came slowly, letting in only small bits of sounds at first, and then some coherent words...a bit of light... As Nohano began to wake, bewilderment fogged his mind, and he shook with deep fear that he did not understand at first. As awareness settled slowly into his mind, he began remembering where he was—and what had happened. The towers, his armor—his armor!

Nohano opened his eyes, glancing down at himself, seeing only the clothing he had been wearing before Xander's mental call for help and the news report on the wall of fog. He blinked, his shivering increasing, looking up at his wrists; his hands tingled unpleasantly from lack of circulation from iron circlets that wrapped around his wrists. Grimacing, Nohano got his feet under him and shook his head, trying to clear the last of the fog from it. 'Fog,' he thought ruefully. 'Fog. I've had enough fog.'

He suddenly realized that the talking he'd heard...or maybe thought he heard?...had stopped, and he looked around, blinking in surprise at what he saw. He was in Talpa's palace, of that he was certain, but that was not what had shocked him; he was not alone. His friends were also chained to the wall to his left, all in a line, though they had not yet woken; Yasuo was with them too, hanging from his hands. No one was in armor, but that didn't shock him, either. It dismayed him, but he wasn't surprised at all.

What had taken him by surprise were the five youths chained up to his right, as solid as Nohano himself, and looking utterly exhausted. Ryo Sanada was right next to Nohano, his expression both tired and a little worried. "Are you all right?" Ryo asked.

Nohano could only gape in astonishment. Ryo and his friends looked as if they'd been put in a giant blender, and he was asking if Nohano was all right? "Y-yes," he managed to stammer. Fury replaced his astonishment. Even knowing that the Ronin and Yasuo were here, even knowing that they were being tormented, it couldn't have prepared him to see the six of them chained to a stone wall, their clothing torn, bruises and blood on their skin. "What kind of miserable coward tortures a helpless enemy?" he snarled suddenly, clenching his fists.

"A warlord, that's who," spat one of the others, a husky boy with blue eyes and black hair, sounding disgusted.

Ryo nodded wearily. "Afraid so, Nohano," he said quietly. "We've been here quite a long time." Since March, Nohano thought in horror, remembering when his dreams had started. "They spent some time finding Yasuo—they needed him before they brought you here."

Nohano suddenly wanted to cry; it was a great shock to see people having been so badly hurt, to know they had been suffering for weeks—Nohano could not imagine it. "Bastards," he whispered. If only he had his armor—his armor! Wildfire had been torn from him, he'd felt it before he blacked out.

Ryo leaned tiredly against the stone behind him, wincing a little bit, and shifting position. "Well...these are my friends, Nohano. I wish you could have met them under different circumstances."

"You're not the only one," agreed Nohano sympathetically, leaning away from the wall so that he could see the others more clearly. The husky boy said his name was Kento, who'd borne the Hardrock armor before Demetrius. There was a slim boy who wore nice-looking clothing—at least they had been nice looking at one point—with limp, dirty, blonde hair that completely covered half of his face. That one was Sage, of Halo.

The boy with the blue hair said that his name was Rowen, though Nohano had known that already from Suisei, and knew that his armor had been Strata. The last one was Cye, who'd borne Torrent. In turn, Nohano told them the names of his friends, even though they weren't awake to be properly introduced...though as he spoke, Demetrius groaned and began to stir.

Distracted, Nohano looked at the Russian boy, his anger fading into concern as Demetrius opened his eyes suddenly, fear blazing in them. "Easy, 'Trius," said Nohano, and Demetrius turned to look at him. "You're okay for now."

Demetrius got onto his feet, too, wincing and shaking his hands. The shackled had cut into his wrists, leaving purplish lines on the pale skin. Nohano supposed his wrists looked the same. "Where are we?" Demetrius asked.

"Hell," came the blunt reply from one of the Ronin; the blue-haired Rowen from the sound of it. Demetrius frowned in confusion.

"That's about right," said Nohano ruefully. The others were beginning to regain consciousness, except for Yasuo, which worried Nohano. Yasuo was breathing, Nohano could see that, but he was still firmly out cold.

"I think he'll be all right," said Ryo, noting Nohano's gaze. "He's had a rough time here, too, and then he was put through what you just were. I...think he will be okay."

"He should be," said Sage, though he looked worried as well. "It's just exhaustion, like when you overuse the power of your armor."

Nohano felt a sudden wash of unreality come over him. The Ronin of the past were right here, right beside him, sharing the same fate. They were chained to a wall in some deep, dark dungeon, having gone through God knew what kind of dark ritual, and now they were all speaking as calmly as if they had sat down to lunch together. He looked slowly at the other Ronin, wincing a little. 'It's probably exhaustion that's got 'em speaking so quietly,' he thought. If he'd endured weeks of torment, he didn't think he'd be up to saying much, either.

The chamber was large and empty, and at the moment, there were Nether Spirits there. The walls were lined with shackles, and it was clear the place was meant solely for restraining prisoners. Surely they didn't intend to fill the chamber with captives? 'Maybe not,' he thought glumly, 'but I bed he intends to add three more to the group before long.' He was still worried about Tarun, Xan, and Amaya.

He turned back to Ryo, whose blue eyes were rimmed in black, telling Nohano that he had not slept for a very long time. To Nohano's astonishment, it was seeming more and more as if even in spirit, they had to succumb here to the limitations of a human! "I-I'm sorry," Nohano stammered, taking a big breath. "We meant to come here and rescue you, but—they got us before we even got through the fence."

Ryo shook his head, managing to smile. "Don't, my friend. You've nothing to apologize for. If I'd ever thought Talpa could pull us from the Spirit Realm..."

"No way outta here, huh?"

"We're still working on that," came Rowen's voice, and Nohano blinked at the boy's accent; it sounded like he was from New York City! Still, he couldn't find room to be all too shocked; he was too dismayed by the implications. If the Ronin had been working on it this long...

"But don't get your hopes up," said Sage bitterly.

"Actually," said Cye quietly, his accent sounding oddly British, "this is the first time in a very long time we've had such a long reprieve." Nohano bit his lip hard.

"We think they had the Nether Spirits on us so often because they needed the power for something," added Rowen. His face was pale, looking yet more pallid by the odd hue of his hair, his expression wide-eyed and wary. "Power for what, though...we're not sure."

"We were in a tower," said Demetrius slowly. Nohano was uneased by the look of alarm that passed over the faces of Ryo and his friends. "And there was an eclipse."

"Kuso!" Kento snarled, setting his head back against the wall behind him; his tone was furious, but his face was scared. Rowen and Sage exclaimed as well, words that Nohano didn't understand. (Kuso, he knew, from Suisei;t was a curse word) Apparently they all knew what it meant.

At Nohano's worried, questioning glance, Ryo explained. "It's bad, Nohano. You were all in separate towers?" Nohano nodded, feeling shaky. "Do you know of Talpa's wish to meld the worlds into one? Earth, and the Nether Realm?"

"Y-yes...Amaya has told us--" Nohano only then remembered what Rashida had guessed while they were in the towers. "Oh no—Rashida guessed that was it, but..." Nohano took a big breath, fighting panic. "What happens when the worlds meld?"

"We don't know," said Sage grimly. "It happened once before, briefly, but we never quite got to see it. We were here in the Nether Realm, fighting Talpa. But the towers, the eclipse—those were the things that Talpa needed for the melding."

"Who's melting?" Killian's slurred voice made Nohano blink and turn around, worried. But Killian seemed to be okay; he was just not quite awake yet. Remembering his own difficulties waking, Nohano sympathized. The others were awake as well, though Yasuo still hung in his bonds.

"Melding, not melting," came Cye's gentle voice. Killian blinked and looked up, obviously recognizing Cye's voice, and stared for a moment in bewilderment. Cye smiled a little bit. "I know, it's frightening," he said. "I am glad to meet you face to face."

Killian blinked, shaking his head a little, and laughed without humor. "Me too, mate," he said, "but I sure wish it were somewhere else!"

"Yeah we all wish that," Kento growled, "and you can bet that when I get outta here, I'm gonna--" The husky boy lapsed into Japanese, and his friends all voiced tired but sincere agreement. Nohano looked over to Suisei, who looked grim.

"He says he'll chop off Talpa's empty mask and hang it on the wall of this palace," he translated, and Nohano's group loudly agreed, too.

"Nohano," said Ryo suddenly, turning to regard his counterpart. "You had said once that you are eight—where are the other three? Talpa hasn't..."

"No," said Nohano quickly. "Well—it's kinda complicated." As the others listened, Nohano told Ryo and the others about Xander and his father, who had followed him from Washington, D. C. to California, and had tried to kidnap him. He related the story of how he'd shot Killian (Cye made a sound of anger) and how Xan and Amaya had not come back from their training session that last night. "He said his father had snagged him," said Nohano angrily. "As if we didn't have enough trouble with the miserable Dynasty! And then that news report about the fence!"

"That was awfully convenient," said Rowen, leaning forward to look at Nohano.

"Yeah...it seems that way. But—you don't think his dad's in league with Talpa? I mean—he's tried to go after Xander before."

"Was there anything wrong with his dad, did he say?" asked Rowen, still frowning.

"Yeah," chimed in Kento, "like—weird expressions or behavior, or..."

Nohano stared, a chill going down his back, as he remembered a disgusted comment from Xander. "W-well---well yeah, he said he thought his dad might be doing drugs or something, because his eyes were blank, or glazed...something like that." He didn't much like the grim look of confirmation that settled on the boys' faces. "How did you know?"

"It's something we've seen before," said Ryo softly. His voice was quiet, but anguish and fury both shone in his eyes. "Mia...Mia was a friend of ours, she worked at a college in Toyama, and had researched the legends of the Ronin and of the Dynasty. Her grandfather also did such research. Well...one night, this was when the Dynasty was attacking our own city, we were with Mia at the college when her grandfather started acting strangely. Hostile, unkind. His eyes were blank, and we realized soon that he had been possessed by a Nether Spirit."

Killian hissed, and Nohano could feel sudden loathing from him through the mind link. Demetrius's own mental feeling chimed in as well, and Nohano remembered they had gone through the same thing. Nohano was temporarily distracted by the connection of the mind link, but he couldn't stop from staring at Ryo in grim astonishment. "A Nether Spirit! He was probably controlling Xan's dad from the beginning!"

"I'm not so sure about that," said Sage. He tossed his head in irritation to get the hair away from his eyes, and a grimace of pain passed over his face. "Shouldn't have done that," he muttered. "I've got a killer headache." Nohano noticed that all five boys spoke English very well, though Ryo said they were all residents of Japan. "Anyway, you said he tried to kill your friend, Torrent, right?"

Nohano nodded. "Yes..."

"Talpa wouldn'ta have wanted him to do that. He needed the armor, remember?"

"Oh." Nohano felt a little foolish then at having overlooked that detail. "Yeah...you're right."

Perfect, muttered Killian. So his dad really does want to kill me.

Nohano sighed; the whole situation was crap. "So you think Talpa wanted those two out of the way? But why?"

"At least for a while," said Rowen. "You know that the armor you bear was once of Talpa's, right?" Nohano nodded again. "And that the evil within it was never banished, only balanced out. Even Kaos couldn't completely banish the evil." Nohano nodded again. "So Talpa can still have some control over it, and re-corrupt the armor, like he did with the warlords' armors. His Nether Spirits could take care of that detail, for that matter."

"But the armor your two friends bear, that armor was newly created by a man of good heart," said Cye. "I can't imagine Talpa's Nether Spirits could corrupt them so easily if at all, since they were never his. I would imagine they're a threat to him, or at least until he was able to use the nine armors to merge the dimensions."

'Merge the dimensions.' It sounded so final and dire. "But he didn't get Tarun," Nohano said, frowning suddenly. "He's got the Daybreak armor I told you about."

"He's the child?" Ryo asked.

"Yeah, he's ten. We didn't lose him until the fence—he didn't get through with us."

"I bet he's back on Earth," said Killian. "Crikey—I hope he'll be all right. You think he can find Amaya and Xander?"

"Absolutely." This was Suisei, and his voice was completely certain. "I have faith in him. He'll find them if it takes him a week—you know how stubborn he is."

Ryo laughed wearily and turned his head to look at Kento. "He sounds as if he would get along well with you, Shuu."

Kento laughed a little as well. "He sounds like a nice kid. I hope I don't meet him, though, because it means he'll be here."

It was a good point.

"I wondered why had had taken Amaya, as well," said Rashida slowly. "I understand he would want to stun her, so that she would not fight him. He knew already that Xander and Killian could fight well, and would think his other friends could fight well, too. But why take her along?"

"To keep her out of the way," said Killian disgustedly. "Great. So now what do we do?"

Cye's quiet answer was discouraging. "We wait."


	17. Small Victory

CHAPTER 17: Small Victory

Waiting was not one of Nohano's greatest strengths. For that matter it wasn't one of his strengths at all, and it was not five minutes before he was sick, sick, sick of being chained to that miserable wall. He thought again of Ryo's group being there not just for hours or day, but for week, and he could not fathom it. Nohano was scared of what Talpa or the warlords would do to him, but he was pissed off enough that he was able to deal with it.

Ryo and his friends were fatigued and hurt, but they seemed willing enough to talk with Nohano's group; in fact they seemed to take some comfort to having others there with them. Nohano did not know any of them well except for Ryo, but he felt a deep connection to them all the same. They had fought the same enemies, had suffered many of the same ordeals, and fought for the same things. Nohano did not talk much; only listened to the others, and watched Ryo's group.

He had taken an immediate liking to Cye, whose dark green eyes were full of warmth and compassion, whose expression was one of concern even with all he'd been through. He reminded Nohano a lot of Killian, and remembered that Nohano and Killian had hit it off well right away as well.

The biggest difference between Cye and Killian was that Cye didn't seem to be nearly as obnoxious. He thought about making a comment through the mind link, but didn't, not wanting to exclude Ryo's group; it would have been rude. For that matter, he wondered if they could all connect in the same mind link!

Rowen was brash and sarcastic, but friendly enough that you couldn't really take offense to his brash manner. He was very intelligent, a trait that was evident quite quickly. He thought of things that would never have occurred to Nohano. Nohano wasn't stupid, but he'd had only partial education, and he was pure reaction—he acted on emotion and instinct, not planning and strategy. Rowen, on the other hand, seemed very good at logic.

Sage was a bit of an enigma. He was quiet, though that wasn't so strange; Demetrius was quiet, too. But Sage's silence was not easygoing or friendly; it almost seemed hostile at times, offering neither friendship nor outright enmity. It was a little like talking to a stone wall, emotion wise. Nohano was very put off by him, though he didn't say so, not wanting to offend the blond-haired boy. They were allies, after all, even if being friends might not ever happen.

Kento, on the other hand, was about as different from Sage as it was possible to get. He was open and friendly towards Nohano and his group, and was not shy about saying exactly what he felt. He was more than ready to punch someone in the nose, even as hurt as he was. He even grinned a few times, despite the circumstances, and his grin was infectious. He spent a few moments teaching some Japanese insults. Suisei (and even Amaya when she was feeling particularly playful) had taught some, but Kento came from another time and had a few entirely different ones.

Nohano already knew Ryo. Ryo had a temper much like him, and said that Wildfire chose those who fit well with its virtue and its element. "Fire is not a calm element," he said ruefully.

"Yeah," snorted Kento with a wry grin, "and you say I'm impulsive!"

"Hey," said Cye, smiling tiredly, "Just because he is doesn't mean that you aren't."

"He's got you there, Kento," said Sage with a sort of half-smile. Nohano blinked; it was as much emotion as he'd seen from the boy. Sage was really going to take some getting to know. He came across as unfriendly, but Nohano didn't think that it was his true personality. Nohano was just used to people who were far more open.

Demetrius and Kento were in the middle of a friendly argument about which of them was the stronger, when the door of the chamber opened. Anyone that had managed to smile was suddenly tense and fearful, and Nohano felt a chill of fear go through him. He had to do something. Being chained, helpless, was worse on him than he could imagine. He could face the threat of death or torment if he was free to fight, but now...

Five people walked into the chamber, dressed in riot gear, and Nohano blinked. He'd never seen the warlords in their riot gear, the dark-colored sub-armor strange and somehow wrong. Sekhmet was in the lead, and Nohano wasn't surprised. The smug bastard wouldn't be able to pass up gloating about the Dynasty's victory. He had never seen the Warlord of Venom without his mask, but Sekhmet's eyes could not be mistaken. His hair was green, though Nohano was not surprised; oddly it seemed to suit him. Toxic, just like his venom.

Behind him was the Italian man, the blond one Nohano thought was British, the Japanese woman, and Kale. He'd not seen Kale unmasked, either, but was familiar enough with Corruption to recognize him, feeling fear and loathing both.

"Making friends?" asked Kale, smirking.

Nohano scowled. "Like you'd know what a friend is," he growled. "What do you--"

It was too fast for Nohano to catch properly; Sekhmet swung his clenched fist back to crack Nohano across the face. Nohano yelled in pained surprise, his head snapping violently to the side, a fierce throb exploding behind his eyes. He heard Killian snarl a protest, and receive the same treatment. Nohano blinked, shaking his head, and glared hatred at Sekhmet, who looked grimly at the two of them.

"Hey!" Ryo cried angrily, clenching his fists.

"Bastard!" Nohano spat, his teeth clamped shut in a snarl. That had hurt—but more, it had pissed him off!

Sekhmet turned his unsettling gaze on Nohano, who found himself daunted by it, but he didn't drop his glare. He was far too angry to bother with mere fear. "Watch your mouth, boy," advised Sekhmet. "Else I'll turn you over to Jin Tanaka, here." He nodded to the woman with them, who gazed evenly at Nohano. "Her best talents lie in torture."

Nohano's eyes widened, but not because of the threat. He felt a sudden surge of outrage from Suisei, and he looked over at his friend. Suisei's dark eyes were wide with fury, his gaze locked solidly on the woman, who returned it with her own eyes slightly narrowed. "You must be Suisei Kyoto," she said quietly. Nohano grimaced a little; Jin Tanaka's voice was as cold as ice.

Suisei did not react; he was too furious to speak, and Nohano didn't blame him. Nohano wanted to rip the woman apart, himself, but Suisei had a stronger reason. She had hurt his child.

Jin Tanaka smiled a little bit, and Nohano felt his own temper flare; she was deliberately antagonizing Suisei. "Tarun spoke of you. He said that you would 'get' me for what I did. I am still waiting for that to happen."

The clank of chain against stone startled Nohano, and a quick glance showed Suisei yanking hard against his restraints. He responded in Japanese, his words clear and without fear. The other Ronin—Ryo's group—understood him, though Nohano could not. Jin Tanaka understood, too, from the look of it. Her expression was frightening.

Everyone, warlord and Ronin alike, watched the stare-down. Ryo whispered to Nohano, "What is their history?"

Nohano did not bother keeping his voice down. "Oh, that jerk over there only spent three days torturing a ten year old boy." Jin Tanaka frowned, looking away from Suisei at Nohano's words. "A real show of bravery, that was."

"What?" Kento exclaimed in disbelief. "Who?"

"Tarun," Ryo guessed, and Nohano nodded grimly.

Kento glared in astonishment at Jin Tanaka. "You coward! It must have taken a whole lot of guts to torture a little kid!"

"Suisei's his adoptive father," said Rowen, also looking at Jin Tanaka with extreme dislike. "We've felt that woman's 'best talent' a bit ourselves. She's great if her opponent is chained to a damned wall."

To everyone's surprise, Jin Tanaka suddenly laughed, favoring them all with a condescending, tolerant grin. His face heating up, Nohano thought he preferred her ire. "See how angry they all are, for what I did to their little companion. Such a weakness, this love...and affection."

She made the words sound like a curse, like something that should be spit upon, and Nohano scowled again. This woman—she had the unfortunate talent for pushing his temper buttons!

"Bleeding hearts, I would call them," said the Italian.

Killian curled his lip at the man. "So who the hell are you, anyway? We know their names." He jerked his head contemptuously towards Kale, Sekhmet, and Jin. "But what about you and that miserable bloke over there that attacked me in the desert?" Nohano suddenly remembered that Jin had been there, too. That was two grudges Nohano had against the woman!

The tall one, the one with blond hair and green eyes, laughed, the sound eerie, like the howling of a beast. Nohano shuddered despite himself. "Heath Jenkins. Your friend Demetrius has already met my acquaintance." Nohano glanced at Demetrius, whose eyes were narrowed, but Nohano felt his fear through the link. Sekhmet and this English bastard had been brutal to Demetrius.

"Vittorio Digaetano," said the Italian cooly.

"So nice to meet you," said Rowen, his voice deadpanned, but the sarcasm quite clear, all the same.

"So why weren't you in the towers, too?" asked Nohano.

Sekhmet laughed. "We did not need to be, brat. We willingly gave up our armors to be used. Had you done the same, it could have saved you a great deal of discomfort."

"Never," spat Killian. "We'd never give in to Talpa!" One or two of Ryo's friends echoed the sentiment.

"You will eventually," said Kale quietly. "I told you before, all of you, the armor was meant to be together. We have proved that, using its power to merge the Nether World with Earth."

Yasuo's voice startled them all; it was weak and hoarse, but had lost none of its power. Nohano spun his head to look at him, relief flooding in to see that he'd regained consciousness. He'd been awfully worried about him. "One of your number had the strength to leave Talpa. My honored ancestor let wisdom fill his spirit, and gained his freedom."

"Freedom," spat Sekhmet. "He ended up dead, old one."

"Anubis isn't dead, genius," said Rowen contemptuously, "he lives on in spirit, and calls no one 'master'!"

"Yeah," said Ryo, narrowing his blue eyes at the warlords. "While you still bow and scrape at Talpa's feet!"

The look on Sekhmet's face was frightening, and the others didn't look entirely thrilled, either. For just a moment, Nohano thought they were going to kill someone. But Kale's voice stopped the confrontation short. "Enough pleasantries," said he, and everyone turned to look at him. "Talpa wants them--" he gestured to Ryo and his friends, "—in the purification chamber. As for the others...Talpa is allowing us to...lower their resistance a little before they join them." His expression was calm, but his dark blue eyes glinted with sadistic anticipation.

"I'll have Dais bring the others," said Sekhmet, smiling nastily at Nohano.

Nohano felt cold, shivering, unable to stop. Lower their resistance... He glanced once at Ryo, who returned his glance with one of sympathy and helplessness. Nohano didn't want to think of what those bastards were going to do him. Though he wasn't sure Ryo was going to be much better off, from Demetrius's description of what the Nether Spirits did to you.

Swallowing hard, Nohano turned to look, clenching his shaking fists. All five of those assholes were smirking, enjoying their captives' fear.

"No matter what you do to us," said Rashida suddenly, her voice calm, even matter-of-fact, "it won't chance the fact of your cowardice and contemptibility."

Nohano could have cheered her. By staying calm, by voicing her opinion so casually, she had been able to do what Nohano's anger could not: really piss them off!

Kale gazed cooly at her. "You speak boldly for one at our mercy."

"Ha!" said Kento, drawing Kale's attention briefly to him. "Like you'll leave them alone if they keep quiet."

"Of course they will not," said Demetrius. "They only use it to try and keep their power over us."

"They're Ronin too, pal," said Kento with a grin, though his grin had little humor in it; the pain he himself had gone through, his exhaustion and fear, made the grin something hard and intimidating. Nohano thought that if he were Kale he might just be a little nervous. "You can't scare them any more than you scare me."

Nohano thought for only a moment that it might be a mistake, angering their captors, but Kento and Demetrius were right. These wretches certainly wouldn't show any more mercy towards them if they cooperated and kept their mouths shut. Had Kale not said outright that Talpa wanted their "resistance lowered"?

Kale and Kento glared at one another, but before the staredown could continue much father, the door opened once more. The rest of the warlords entered the chamber then, arranging themselves in a semi-circle in front of the group, most of them looking at the first Ronin. Ryo tensed, and Kento clenched his fists, his eyes daring them to try it. It was clear they intended to fight.

Don't! Nohano said suddenly, using the mind link by habit, and by instinct. He saw Ryo's eyes widen suddenly, turning to look at Nohano in amazement. 'It worked!' Nohano thought, 'Fantastic!' Don't fight...yet, said Nohano. Make them think you're too weak, and fight when their guard's down.

Ryo smiled slowly, nodding his head the smallest bit. Good thinking, my friend. His mental voice had no accent, but was as warm and spirited as Ryo himself. It was very strange to have another in his mind, but it was comforting, too. He caught a strange sort of mental echo, as if he were hearing something from around the corner, and he knew Ryo was telling the others the same way.

Nohano was impressed by their guile. Kento did not relax his defensive posture, Sage did not avert his hateful glare, and Ryo looked as though he were ready to kill his captors. But as Nohano watched them carefully, he could see they'd gotten Ryo's message. Nohano did not know how much strength they had left...he wished he could lend them some...but he hoped that at least some of them could escape. He didn't know most of them, but still considered them his friends, and he didn't want them to be hurt anymore.

Ryo was right next to Nohano, and Nohano was very tempted to kick Dais when he drew close to grasp Ryo's arms. Dais looked right at him for a moment, seeming to dare Nohano to do something, but he did not. Good luck, Ryo, Nohano whispered. I hope you can get free.

Ryo did not reply in words, but Nohano caught his gratitude for Nohano's concern all the same.

The Ronin were taken down from the wall, slumping in the warlords' grip, and Nohano was certain none of that was sham. It couldn't be easy moving after weeks of being chained to a wall. Kento tried to fight, but was subdued easily enough. That, Nohano felt, was sham.

"Take that one too," said Kale, nodding towards Yasuo, and Jin Tanaka and Shuang moved to do as they were told. Rashida, who was next to him, seemed about to do something violent, but Nohano stopped her with a quick mental, Wait. Don't do anything yet. Rashida blinked, frowning, but did not attack the warlords as they approached. Yasuo, too, was taken out of the chamber as Nohano watched, biting his lip. Yasuo didn't know about the attempt. Nohano only hoped he wouldn't get hurt too badly.

They really got beaten down, said Killian, sounding as if he were about to cry. He hated to see people hurt, and Nohano figured he was as close to Cye as Nohano was to Ryo.

They're not as weak as they seem, said Nohano, smiling briefly as the other Ronin were manhandled through the door of the chamber. Sekhmet tuned back to give Nohano another nasty grin, and Nohano sighed. They're faking it. They're going to try and break free in transit.

Playing opossum, Rashida said, laughing quietly.

Yeah. Nohano said, sighing and leaning back against the cave wall. I just hope they make it.

No one said anything for several minutes, though Nohano concentrated on the link he'd made with Ryo. He almost feared that nothing was going to happen; were the Ronin too weak to try for real? Or were they just trying to make a plan of action? He knew that they must have a mind link similar to Nohano's group, and they had two good planners with them, if what Rashida and Suisei said was accurate.

He had just about decided that nothing was going to happen, when he heard a mental shout from Ryo, obviously directed at his people, but coming through to Nohano as well. Kento, NOW! Nohano's chest seemed to clench, and a surge of adrenaline spiked, and he wasn't sure if it was from Ryo or himself. He listened, concentrating hard, his eyes wide, his fists clenched. He felt alarm, fury, determination from Ryo. He felt sudden pain, more fury... Ryo's mind was a whirl of wild emotion that Nohano knew well; he had felt it himself in battle, during confrontations. It was the Wildfire in his spirit, the part that had connected so solidly with his armor. Ryo had it, too.

Ryo's mind quieted, and though Nohano didn't think he was unconscious, he was close. He bit his lip, seized with sudden fear; Ryo, at least, had not gotten loose. His connection with Ryo was suddenly severed, and Nohano growled in frustration.

"What happened?" asked Killian.

"I don't know yet," said Nohano. "I lost the link. I think they knocked Ryo out. You know he'd be trying to protect all the others—God, I hope he's okay.

"You have a link with him!" Demetrius said, sounding surprised. "How?"

"I dunno," said Nohano distractedly. "I just tried. Told him not to fight yet, to wait for an opportune moment. He agreed, but now I dunno what's going on..."

The mental link flickered on suddenly, and Nohano blinked. Ryo?

Elation from Ryo, and weariness so deep Nohano could barely comprehend it. Nohano, said Ryo, and Nohano could almost hear the smile.

Are you okay? What happened? What'd they do to you?

We're a little hurt, but that's okay, my friend, said Ryo sincerely. Cye and Kento broke loose, the rest of us rose up, attacked the warlords, bought them some time. I've got mind contact with them—I think they will make it out!

Nohano laughed suddenly, delighted relief coming over him. "Cye and Kento got out!" said Nohano, grinning as the others cheered.

"Good on them!" Killian cried, laughing.

Ryo's voice took on a more serious note, then. Be ready though, Nohano. The warlords are furious. And they've already got reason to hurt you.

Nohano bit his lip, the smile wiped from his face. Okay, he said. Thanks for the warning...I'll tell the others. He looked grimly to his left, relaying Ryo's message.

"Let them come, then," said Suisei. "Just maybe we'll get the chance to fight back a little ourselves."

Nohano nodded his head, agreeing aloud, but he wondered. If Ryo and his Ronin Warriors had not been able to fight for so many weeks...

The door to the chamber opened, and Nohano tensed. Kale stood in the doorway, his expression like stone, except for his eyes, which almost seemed to glow. Nohano didn't think he'd ever seen anyone quite that royally pissed. Nohano took in a breath, swallowed hard, and prepared himself for whatever would come.


	18. Grim Journey

CHAPTER 18: Grim Journey

Amaya, Tarun, and Xander looked unhappily at the crag of cliffs that sprouted from the wreckage that used to be their house. Broken wood and crumbled bricks littered the ground where the crag had risen, and Tarun caught sight of Xan's video game unit on the ground, smashed. The other half of the house seemed to be more or less intact, though the windows were broken and cracks marred the bricks. "So much for being earthquake proof," Xander muttered.

"This was a little more than an earthquake," said Amaya, running a hand through her hair. She and Xander had both donned their armor, though they carried their helmets in their hands. Tarun wore only his sub-armor; he would not be able to recharge again until dawn, and he wanted to conserve energy. He gazed unhappily at the house, feeling like he might cry.

"Guess we don't take shelter here," said Xan. He sat down on the still-damp grass, his head in his hands.

The three of them had left the house that Doug Black had been using after bringing the man inside and setting him on the couch. Xander no longer wanted anything to do with him, but he hadn't been able to just leave him out on the grass. At least inside he had some shelter from the elements. They had left in a hurry; figuring that Nether Spirit would be able to report their location, and they wanted to be far away from there by the time it did.

"Maybe we shouldn't stay here anyway," said Tarun cautiously. "They found out where we lived last time. What if they know this time, too?"

Xan and Amaya turned to stare at him, and it was clear the idea hadn't occurred. "You've got a point, kid," said Xander. "Let's one of us go in and grab some supplies...and some warmer clothing for me and Amaya. All we have on is the shorts and T-Shirts we wore under our armor." Tarun nodded; he had grabbed food and water, but it wasn't enough for all of them.

"We can leave the laptop here," said Amaya. "We'll want to travel light, and it won't work right, anyway. Perhaps we can find one of the shelters again. Last time we found one, the computers below worked. I think they are far enough in the earth..." She trailed off, biting her lip. "But the earth is now half Nether World lands."

"We could try," said Xander. "What worried me is Talpa. It looks like the two worlds went half and half—part our world, part his. When we were there last, he not only knew we were there, but he knew where we were."

Tarun stared; that was a very unpleasant bit of information! What if Talpa knew? Well, there was nothing to be done about it, he guessed. Besides, the way he was feeling, let Talpa come! Tarun might not be able to defeat him or even last long, but he sure wouldn't make the fight easy!

"I wish I knew how well he can track us," said Amaya.

Tarun suddenly grinned. "I bet we'll find out!"

Xander smacked his forehead, then hissed as the gauntlet smacked against his skin. Tarun giggled even more as Amaya sighed, rolling her eyes, but she smiled, too. "Thank you so much," she said dryly, which only made Tarun laugh more. It really was better to laugh when things got bad! Sometimes even he forgot that fact.

Xander muttered something about being an idiot, and that he wasn't going to do that again in armor. "All right," he said. "I'll go in, then. If something collapses, I got my shields. And if something attacks you guys out here, you're better fighting them, or at least getting away."

That was true. Amaya was their most skilled fighter, and Tarun could outrun the enemy easily enough. Amaya agreed and Tarun got the laptop out of the backpack, handing it over to Xan; Xander climbed up the front steps (which were mostly intact) and very carefully eased open the half-broken door. Tarun turned to the crag of rock and stuck out his tongue at it.

Ten minutes went by, and nothing happened; the house even stayed upright while Xander was inside. When he came out, he was lugging two full backpacks and had three blankets draped over his arm, and gave one to Amaya as he stepped out. "Food and some supplies," he said. "And blankets."

"Oh yeah," said Tarun. "I forgot that!" He wasn't all too put out that he'd failed to grab himself a blanket (he'd dropped the one he had initially while he was fighting the fence-phantoms). Tarun was feeling pretty happy with himself, and was glad of it. He had found Xander and Amaya by himself, and fought by himself, too, and had ended up all right, which was helping to dispel the awful feeling of uselessness that had been trying to plague him of late. "So where do we go?"

Xan's answer was as good as any. "Anywhere but here. If Talpa can sense us at all, we'll want to keep moving."

"And will not want to lead him to our home." Amaya gazed at the half-ruined building for a moment before turning away, frowning slightly.

Tarun knew how she felt; he did not like seeing their house like that either, and wondered if it would get fixed when the Dynasty left. Probably not, though. Nothing had been fixed after last September. "Is it like this everywhere?" he asked, not sure he wanted to know the answer, "or just here?"

"I think everywhere," said Amaya quietly.

What a horrible thought! Tarun wondered if the sisters who worked at the orphanage he'd lived at were okay. Talpa wouldn't have any interest in India, would he? Tarun scowled and shoved the thought out of his mind; worrying about it couldn't help anything.

An hour later, Amaya and Xander were both dragging their heels, and even Tarun was getting very tired. "We should stop for the night," said Tarun, nodding decisively.

"What a great idea," said Xander, leaning against a building that didn't have any rocks or mountains growing out of it. A lot of buildings had come out of it just fine, built to withstand even the strongest earthquakes. But even an earthquake proof building was not able to endure a mountain sprouting up in the middle of it. Tarun understood that whatever features were in the Nether World had broken through to this one, so that the whole place was a frightening mix of Nether and mortal worlds.

"How come we haven't seen anyone?" asked Tarun.

Xander snorted. "If you had any sanity, would you be out here after all this happened?"

Tarun blinked and cocked his head, pondering that question. "No," he said finally. "But we are out here. Does that make us crazy?"

He hadn't meant the question to be funny, but Amaya and Xander both laughed. Tarun didn't mind. "Yes," said Amaya firmly. "It definitely means we're crazy."

Tarun suddenly grinned. "Bug-nuts."

"Okay," said Xander. "I can't walk anymore, and my eyes have decided it's time to sleep, with or without my permission." Sure enough, Xan's eyelids drooped nearly all the way down. "We need to camp out somewhere."

"We must post a watch," said Amaya. "Who will go first?"

Tarun shrugged. "I don't care," he said. "I'll go when you want!"

"I can't keep my eyes open," said Xander apologetically. "I gotta get a few hours' sleep before I can watch."

Amaya thought for a moment, then said, "I will go first. I am not quite as tired. Tarun, you have enough energy to power a city." Tarun giggled at the idea. "I think you will be far better taking middle watch. We old ones can't handle broken sleep so well."

Tarun giggled again at the thought of Amaya and Xan being old, and even Xander had to chuckle. "Right," he said. "And here I forgot my cane."

"Okay," said Tarun agreeably. "Let's find somewhere to sleep."

In the end, the little group sought out a small playground to sleep in. It was deserted and dark, and there were play tunnels and a couple of enclosed areas on the larger structures that they could take shelter in, and go unnoticed by most.

"That one, I think," said Amaya, nodding towards the largest of the equipment. It was tall, with a fort-like enclosure on the bottom, and what was supposed to look like a ship's deck on top. It even had a real telescope!

"That's cool!" said Tarun. "Look, the lookout can use that telescope."

"It is cool," said Xan. "The top part's even got a roof. So it's got some cover."

So Xander and Tarun crept into the bottom part, spreading their blankets on the rubberized mulch that covered the playground, and Tarun curled up, wrapping the other half of his blanket around him. He heard Amaya climbing up the bars that led to the deck above, and felt Xander lying down next to Tarun.

The riot gear was not comfortable to sleep in! It wasn't comfortable any time, actually, but sleeping was going to be a pain. However Tarun was unwilling to take it off. Grumbling about the stupid Dynasty, he closed his eyes.

Tarun was dreaming about being in a giant cave, watching millions of bats flying around, when someone began shaking him. He muttered irritably, rolling over to escape the shaking; he wanted to finish the dream! One of the bats landed on his shoulder and squeaked, but the shaking didn't stop. The cave and the bats were gone, replaced by the darkened interior of the playground fort. Tarun blinked, a little disoriented. He sat up and looked at Amaya, who had been the one to shake him. "Time for a watch, little one," she said softly. "Try to guess three hours. Then wake Xan."

Oh yeah. "Okay," said Tarun, stretching, and standing up. He was the only one short enough to stand (though his hair brushed the top of the enclosure), and he stepped out into the night. He heard Amaya settling in, and listened for a moment, before climbing up to the observation deck, as he was coming to think of it. The telescope was not entirely useful. No moon shone, and the sky was nearly black. The streetlights were not working, and no lights glowed in the windows of the buildings. It was really creepy, actually.

Tarun looked down at his riot gear, frowning a little bit at the white and yellow. What little light there was shone off the bright colors, and Tarun wasn't entirely sure he liked that. Amaya and Xander had dark colors, and blended in well. Shrugging, Tarun banished the riot gear, stowing the orb in his pocket. He'd be able to see most anything coming (he hoped), and he felt better not being so visible. His jeans and shirt were dark, and his face and hair were, also. He would not be easy to see.

Tarun sighed quietly, pacing back and forth on the wood. Watching was going to be very boring, he could see that now. But then...who said he had to stay there? He leaned over the safety railing to peer at the other playground equipment, and eyed some of the taller pieces. Surely he could see better from those, too!

Sending a quick mental explanation to Amaya about where he was going, Tarun crept down from the observation deck. Amaya didn't protest, only mumbled for him to be careful.

Having the entire playground to occupy him, his watch was far easier. He didn't forget to look out for danger, however. Every few moments he would pause to watch, and to listen. He went back to the fort several times to check on his friends. He climbed the highest equipment, using their vantage points to gaze at the surrounding streets.

It was a depressing sight. Aside from half-ruined buildings and the bleak, tainted landscape of the Nether World creeping in, the sky overhead was still covered in clouds. The places that had been torn open to reveal jagged strips of the Nether sky weren't much better; there were stars (which admittedly were kind of neat) but it felt vile.

Tarun saw people, though it wasn't a heartening sight. There was no one at first, but then he began seeing one or two here and there, wandering dazedly through the streets, and some looked as if they'd been injured. Tarun was sorry for them. He wished he could heal, like Killian could, but he could not, and so he just watched them wander until they were gone from sight.

He had no way of keeping time, but he thought it might be nearing the end of three hours when an ear-splitting howl sent a jagged spike of alarm through his chest. Sitting atop the swingset, Tarun gasped, starting suddenly and slipping off the bar. He grunted, grabbing at the bar with his hands, saving him from a fall that probably wouldn't feel too nice without his armor on. His heart pounding, he looked around, finally spotted a ragged-looking stray dog, yowling disconsolately at the sky.

Taking a big breath, Tarun shakily slid down one of the support poles and landed on the mulch. The dog sat a few meters away, and growled low when Tarun landed.

"It's okay," said Tarun, still recovering from the shock. It had scared the heck out of him! Especially since it was so near. "I won't hurt you."

The dog did not seem to believe him however, because the growling did not stop. But Tarun didn't try to get near the animal, who eventually fled.

Whazzat?

Xander's mental voice, sleepy and irritable, made Tarun jump again, and then he laughed. It was scary, but it was also pretty fun. It's okay. It was just a dog.

Sounded like a friggin' werewolf, Xander said. Izzit time for my watch?

I dunno...it might be! I'm not tired though if you wanna sleep some more. I can wake you in a little bit.

'Kay. Tarun smiled as he felt Xander's mind settle back into slumber.

When Tarun started to yawn, he crept into the little fort and gently shook Xander awake. The older boy woke, though reluctantly, and crawled out to take his turn. Tarun curled up on his blanket, summoning his riot gear, and slept.

---

When dawn broke, Tarun woke up, grinning as he realized his armor was taking energy from the day already. He sat up and rolled up his blanket, tying it onto his backpack as he'd done the day before, then stepped out.

He was very disappointed when he looked around. It was light out...kind of. It was the dim, gloomy light of a very overcast day, and not just because of the clouds. Earth's sun shone out there somewhere, but the sick excuse for a sun the Nether Realm had was visible, too, and the dark skies offered little light. Though he had to admit, it was kind of cool, that other sky. And at least it was warm!

Xander was leaning against one of the support posts on the observation deck, looking fairly awake, and entirely bored. "I can't believe you stood an entire watch without exploding," Xander greeted him.

Tarun blinked, and laughed incredulously. "Exploded?" he asked, giggling. "Why would I explode?"

"Are you kidding me? You threaten to explode if you have to sit still for more than five minutes. I dunno how you get through school."

"In fidget a lot. Besides I didn't stay right there all of my watch. I played on the playground stuff. I still watched, though!" he added hastily at the look of alarm that crossed Xander's face. "And I walked all around, and I climbed those things there. You get a really good look from up there."

"Now you tell me," Xander grumbled.

"There's some people around," said Tarun, climbing up to join Xander. "But not very many. Some are kinda hurt. They all seem kinda dazed."

"I don't blame them," said Xander quietly. "I feel kinda dazed, myself. Okay. Let's wake Amaya, and eat something; I'm hungry."

Breakfast was not anything impressive, but at least it made Tarun's stomach stop growling; he'd not noticed he was hungry until Xan mentioned it! He wondered where Suisei was, and if he was all right. Tarun knew that he was probably in some kind of trouble, because of what had happened with the two worlds. It would not have happened unless Talpa had all the armors. But was Suisei still a prisoner? Was he still alive? Tarun scowled darkly, thinking of what he would do if one of them had hurt his adoptive father. Tarun wanted to go in and kick some rear end!

"Where's Talpa's palace?" asked Tarun.

"Well," said Amaya, "When we went into the Nether Realm last time, it took about a week to get to where his palace was from our starting point. I don't know if the worlds overlap exactly or not, though...I suppose it wouldn't make sense, would it? Last time the palace appeared over Toyama, in Japan."

"Maybe it is over Toyama," said Xander grimly. "If it is, it's going to take forever to get there—if we even can. None of the cars work." He blinked, frowning suddenly at Amaya. "Or maybe not. Amaya...can you teleport us there?"

Amaya frowned, setting down her bag of dried fruit and shaking her head slowly. "I cannot get into his palace," she said. "And I do not know if I can teleport here, now, with the Nether Realm upon us. I could not teleport when we went there...I fear its influence is too great here."

"You could try!" said Tarun, but Xander winced.

"No, it's best she doesn't," said Xander. "Not unless we have a really good reason, anyway. It hurts her, and Rashida's not here to heal her. None of need to be injured."

"Oh." He hadn't known that it hurt Amaya when she couldn't teleport!

"And we do not know where his palace is," said Amaya. "For now we can only keep moving and search."

And so they did.

They walked until the sun began to set, and everyone was grouchy, even Tarun. He didn't mind spending the energy, and was nit tired, but he did mind doing nothing all day except for walk! They had seen nothing but destruction and dreary landscape. They'd even walked along the bay for a while, since the bay was one of the things that seemed the most normal. Amaya speculated that the Nether Realm probably was all plains in that area, so the bay area sort of took over.

The few people they'd seen fled at the sight of them, and there were several dogs and cats around—escaped from homes, likely, most of them, who also fled. The animals probably sensed their power, and the people just didn't want to see any more weirdness. And in their riot gear, the three Ronin were definitely in the "weird" category.

They stopped when it began to get dark, and Tarun offered to take first watch. He was restless and feeling hyper, and the others were tired. They agreed readily, and the group camped out in a boathouse on the shoreline. Tarun wondered if the boathouse he used as a hideout was still there or not, and hoped it was.

Tarun didn't like being there, though it was the most shelter there was in the entire area. It was low, so he couldn't see far, and the sound of the sea masked other sounds that might signal an approaching enemy. He paced back and forth on the sand, trying to run off some of his nervous energy. He made a sand castle, and sat on the beach for a while, gazing forlornly away from the sea. Though he kept an eye on the sea, too. Suisei had told him that Sekhmet's domain was the water, and Tarun was paranoid.

The wind was warm, but not comforting and refreshing as it usually was. Tarun was glad that it wasn't cold out, but rather resented its taint. The next time he saw Talpa, he was going to kick him where it counted. Of course Talpa had armor there, but it was the thought that counted. Of course that brought up the question of whether Talpa had those or not. Did demons have private parts? Out of morbid curiosity, Tarun wanted to know the answer. He decided he would ask the next day, for no other reason than to see Xan's and Amaya's expressions when he did.

His eyelids were beginning to droop, and he was just about ready to wake Amaya, when he saw the first one. An organized group of shadows, moving along one of the streets a good distance away. Alarmed, Tarun stood up, squinting his eyes and straining to catch what the were. An unnatural neighing sound came to him, and he heard the faint clank of armor. 'Dynasty soldiers!' That was bad news! Were they looking for him and Amaya and Xander? Tarun scowled, wondering if they should try and attack the soldiers.

Tarun ran to where his friends slept, shaking Amaya urgently. Wake up, guys! We gotta move somewhere else!

They were awake very quickly, far more quickly than normal, but it was obvious something was wrong. "What is it?" asked Amaya.

Tarun pointed. "Look," he whispered.

Xander cursed. "Miserable scrap piles. All right. I'm sure as hell not up to fighting a squadron of empty suits of armor, how about you guys?"

Tarun, personally, was more than up to fighting a squadron of empty suits of armor, but as Amaya agreed with Xan, he figured he wasn't going to get the chance. "We will move," said Amaya. "They may be looking for us, either to kill or capture. Either way, I think we want to avoid that."

Boy, did they ever! Tarun had had enough of being a Dynasty prisoner. But he still wanted a fight.

The trio hastily gathered their backpacks up, rolling up their blankets, and keeping an eye on the soldiers. Xander had just asked where they should move to, when Amaya cussed in Japanese, something she very rarely did. Tarun looked up in alarm, as Amaya cried the warning: "They've seen us!"

"Let's get the hell out of here!" Xander and Amaya took off running, Tarun on their heels once he'd armored up. The clank of the soldiers' armor against the pavement, the clop of their spirit horses' hooves echoed after them.


	19. Splitting Up

CHAPTER 19: Splitting Up

The remaining Ronin from Ryo's group had been wrestled back into the purification chamber, casting them within the shielding influence of the Nether Spirits. They'd taken some injuries, fighting and allowing their two comrades to escape, and it wasn't too difficult to subdue them. If the miserable brats could truly be turned, if they could be bent and molded as Talpa wanted them, they would be a powerful force against their enemies. They could even, perhaps, bear the armors, as the warlords did.

Kale wasn't taking any chances with the remaining prisoners. He and his brothers-in-arms would be in trouble enough for losing two of their prisoners—but who could have known they would be strong enough to fight after being imprisoned and tormented for days? And for Kale to have been fooled by their guise of weakness, to be deceived by their ruse... The only thing he could think was that in spirit, they were far stronger than in body. They might have physical forms, but they were still, in essence, spirits. Kale had little experience with such spirits, and had certainly never had one as a prisoner.

He led the worried warlords back to the lower chamber, slamming the door open and gazing death at the leader, who seemed to almost feel Kale's anger. It radiated from Kale, too great to stay within his soul, and it shone from his eyes.

"What'd you do with the others?" demanded Torrent angrily. Kale did not answer him, only strode into the chamber to face his young enemies. So young, but Kale supposed they were not too different from him; he had been only nineteen when he joined Talpa's forces, and Cade Taylor was only thirteen. The only one that Kale had really been surprised at was the child, he of the Daybreak armor. He narrowed his eyes as he thought about the little wretch; he hated the child's eternal hope and hated his armor of light. Like Halo, the boy was the antithesis of everything Kale embraced.

Kale stood and watched the group as the other nine warlords filed in behind him. The girl, Halo, growled something in her language that Kale did not hear; her words could be translated here in the Nether Realm but it was not always easy; however her meaning was clear. She'd spat defiance, the others chiming in, in support, and Kale did not answer in words; he took two steps and sank his fist into the girl's stomach. He heard Hardrock crying out in sudden pain, and glanced over to see Sekhmet had flung some kind of poison in his eyes; Kale smiled slightly, remembering how Sekhmet had done something similar to Ryo during their battles.

Halo half doubled up, groaning through clenched teeth, though the muscles were taut; she had expected this reaction. When she called him a coward for striking a restrained enemy, he hit her again, then backed away.

"Damn it, Kale, leave her alone!"

Wildfire. The boy's protective temper was as short as Ryo's had ever been, and Kale snarled, armoring up and drawing his nodachi. As Wildfire flinched, Kale turned his blade and stuck the boy with the blunt of the sword. The boy's head snapped back and he dropped down, hanging once again from the shackles that bound him.

No one else had a chance to protest; Kale nodded, and Sekhmet stepped forward, using one of his vile concoctions to knock out the burly Hardrock bearer, and Kale gave Torrent the same treatment his friend had gotten. Jin Tanaka and Heath Jenkins stepped forward to subdue the remaining two Ronin, then stepped back. Kale shook slightly with fury as he looked at the unconscious youths.

"Sekhmet, make certain they are unconscious." He didn't want to take the chance they, also, were shamming. Sekhmet nodded and stepped forward, summoning his own armor. The three of them had their armor back, though they'd had to recharge it for several hours, but the Ronin armors were still in Talpa's possession.

Sekhmet placed his hand on Wildfire's face, a thin, sickly sheen of reddish liquid coating the metal, and Kale was sure that if Wildfire were awake at all, he would have screamed in pain. But he lay very still, his breathing even and slow.

Once Sekhmet had gotten a similar reaction from all of them, Kale nodded. "All right. Bring them one by one into smaller chambers. I want them kept separated."

"How long does Master Talpa want us to work on them?" asked Heath, his smile eager.

"Until he says otherwise," said Kale curtly. "Do not kill them. That is your only restriction." Heath's smile widened, and Kale knew how he felt. There was nothing more satisfying that subjecting one's mortal enemies to helplessness, to agony and humiliation. And if they refused to join up with Talpa, that's what they would receive.

Silent, he watched the lessers take the youths from the chamber, and exchanged a grim glance with Dais and Sekhmet. Master Talpa would not be easy to face.

Let's get this over with, said Sekhmet, sounding both wary and disgusted. Not disgusted with Talpa, Kale realized, but with himself.

Yes, said Kale quietly. We will go now and report; it is likely he already knows.

At least recovering them will not be as difficult as it might have been before, said Dais. The entire realm is ours, and merged solidly with Earth. Our squads of soldiers patrol the streets, and if we can find Cye of Torrent and Kento of Hardrock, they might lead us to the Ronin of Cycles.

Cycles—that was a good way to describe the youths whose armors attuned to the period of the day cycles. Just as the original armor attuned to elements, the masho armor attuned to the seasons, and the new warlords attuned to totem creatures.

Kale led the way out of the room, reluctantly making his way to Talpa's audience chamber, keeping his face expressionless. Talpa despised weakness, and Kale tried hard not to show it to him.

He walked into the chamber, about to bend to one knee, when a blast of furious power from Talpa hit him, knocking him flat on his back, sending agony through his body. He shrieked, clenching his teeth to hold it back, and then it was over, and he heard Dais and Sekhmet's cries. Kale panted for a few moments, catching his breath, before getting shakily back up to one knee. He would not complain. If that was all the punishment he would receive for their mistake, he would be happy.

"Rise," Talpa growled.

Kale stood immediately, saying nothing, and trying to look humble while still calming his shaking.

"You are fortunate, Kale, that the situation is not irreparable," said Talpa, standing before them, disdain and disappointment in every syllable. "I have given the order to my Dynasty soldiers to seek them out, as they search for the other Ronin. You and your warlords will go out to seek them as well. You will be able to sense the power orbs."

"And the Ronin, Master?" asked Sekhmet tentatively, sounding a little shaky himself. "The new ones, that is?"

"I presume, Sekhmet, you can count? Choose some of you to stay behind to deal with them; the others will search. I want them found. The longer you take to find them, the more displeased I will be."

The three of them exchanged somber looks, and Kale bowed deeply. "Understood, my lord," he said.

"Then leave."

The three of them did not waste time leaving the chamber, and Kale closed his eyes once they had closed the door behind them. "Gather the lessers," he said without opening his eyes. "Outside."

Dais and Sekhmet both nodded, and Kale made his way out to the training slab. When all of them had gathered, Kale was satisfied to see that they looked nervous. Talpa did not always punish the lessers himself, unless their mistake had been dire. More often than not, he considered it a task beneath him, and so it fell to Kale, Sekhmet, and Dais to discipline them. Often it took only a few well-chosen words, but Kale was far too angry for that. Kale himself had been taken by surprise, but the ranking warlords had reacted immediately, while the lessers to a man gaped in astonishment. When they were able to get a grip, it was too late.

"It wasn't our fault," grumbled Cade Taylor sullenly.

Kale smiled humorlessly; Cade had just volunteered to be first. Kale spun around and struck the boy with his gauntleted fist, sending him sprawling backwards in a spray of blood and a yell of shocked pain. One of the others gasped in surprise, and Cade gaped up, first in astonishment, then in rage, one hand held to his nose. "I thought you were more intelligent than that, child," said Kale calmly. "You claim no responsibility for happened? None at all? I suppose that you alone tried your best to stop those Ronin vermin escaping?"

Cade's face colored, his eyes narrowed angrily, but he said nothing. He was intelligent, even if he didn't always use it.

"Consider that a reminder to be a little more prepared next time."

Through clenched teeth, in a voice that was not quite steady, Cade growled, "Yes, sir." Kale turned away from the boy to Tai Shuang, intending to give him the same treatment, but was not too surprised when Shuang blocked his punch, throwing one of his own. Kale ducked, eyes narrowed, and stepped back. Shuang had barely moved forward when six scythe blades sank into the ground before him, white strands of web whipping out to bind the lesser warlord where he stood. Kale smiled, nodding his thanks to Dais.

Shuang snarled like a wild beast, and Kale gave Dais a quick look. His snarl turned to a groan of pain as Dais gave his scythes a slight jerk, tightening the strands painfully around Shuang's burly form. "If you fight me again, Shuang, when I am disciplining you, I will turn you over to Master Talpa for punishment." He was glad to see a quick flicker of fear in Shuang's eyes; the Chinese man was strong, and could bear a lot, but there was no one who could stand up to Talpa. "We bear the consequences of our mistakes, you will do no less. Understood?"

A little shame flickered across the man's broad face, and he nodded sullenly. At first Kale was irritated he'd not gotten an aloud response, but realized Shuang probably didn't have the breath for it. Dais released the bindings, and Shuang staggered, but stayed on his feet. Wordlessly Sekhmet approached them to heal the little injuries they'd been dealt; Kale did not need their efficiency dampened.

Cade screamed as Sekhmet's healing was administered, and Kale didn't really blame him. Sekhmet was not deliberately cruel when healing their own, but he had no concoctions that were not painful. Kale didn't think he knew how to make anything else. No matter. It was a small thing to endure, and if the lessers were not tougher than that, they did not deserve the honor of serving under Talpa. "You two will pair up," he said to Cade and Shuang. "You will search for the escapees, and the day-cycle Ronin. You will not return here until you are physically unable to go on."

The two of them bowed and hurried off, clearly glad to be dismissed.

There was not a lot of time to spend on punishments. Kale went quickly down the line of the lesser warlords, dealing out words, or smacks across the face, or in some cases something a little more severe; his lightning slash or a quick strike with one of Sekhmet's poisons. Some of them had screwed up far worse than others. Heath Jenkins had been nearly knocked cold by Kento, and Moral Sullivan had gotten so flustered he hadn't been able to react until the Ronin had already escaped. Those two were punished more severely than their fellows.

Kale did not particularly like doling out punishment to his allies; perhaps once he would have, but the past was gone. It was a necessary thing, just as his own punishment was a necessary thing. When one failed, one must face the consequences. If there were no consequences, there would be far less incentive not to fail again.

Once the lessers had been sent on their search missions, Kale turned to the others. "We will visit our prisoners before we join the search," Kale said. "We will let them know of our...displeasure."

"You think they had anything to do with the others' escape, Kale?" asked Sekhmet with a speculative frown as they headed quickly back towards the palace.

Had they? It was a good question. "They at least knew of the plan," said Kale finally. "Of that I am certain. It's possible they suggested it. I don't care either way. Ronin are Ronin, and they will be punished for it."

Neither Kale nor Sekhmet argued, but Kale felt savage satisfaction from them at the thought. They wanted to exact retribution just as much as Kale did.

---

When Kale stepped into the chamber where Nohano of Wildfire had been taken, the boy was sitting on the floor, his left ankle shackled, attached to a huge, stone support pillar by a chain that was embedded in it. He leaned sideways against it, a scowl on his face, his arms crossed in front of him, and a bit of blood trickling from a gash on his head from Kale's nodachi. He looked as if he had been awake for at least a few minutes, and was entirely angry.

The chamber was not small; it was one of the many subterranean areas of the dungeons, more a cavern than a room, filled with rocks and crags and stalagmites. Lit only by cool, blue-flame candles, it was damp and chilly, and Kale smiled a little; certainly the boy wasn't entirely comfortable.

Kale let the iron doors, embedded into a carved doorway, slam shut, mildly enjoying Wildfire's look of alarm as he scrambled to his feet. The whelp could move no more than a few inches from the pillar, but he was able to stand, and Kale thought he might eventually fix that little oversight.

"What the hell do you want?" demanded the rude little guttersnipe, clenching his fists and glaring at Kale.

Kale didn't bother to answer the boy. He only drew his sword, holding it above his head, vaguely noting Wildfire's look of alarm; he knew what Kale was about to do. "Ankoku Cho Giri!" Kale cried, stepping backwards, feeling the familiar, empowering dark current flow from his spirit into the nodachi. The comfort, the invigorating, icy power of coldest winter crackled through his very soul. The power built up as the battle cry ended, channeling through his weapon and bursting from its tip in black, glowing tendrils of lightning.

Kale's heart leapt in satisfaction as he brought the blade down, focusing every bit of the attack at the wretched brat before him, grinning savagely at the boy's scream of pain, seeing him collapse to the ground amid the darkness the attack cast. He let the power surge through, bringing the blade up as it was finished, stepping back and watching. Wildfire gasped in a breath, shivering, his posture rigid with fury and fear both.

Kale removed his helmet, feeling the mask retract, and set it on the ground nearby. He strode over to the boy, drawing back his foot, kicking him solidly in the side. Wildfire cried out in pained surprise and jerked away, his arms held up in an instinctive gesture of defense, and Kale's disgust and loathing of the boy spiked; he was weak without his armor, just like any other mortal. He was weak, and yet his spirit shone brighter than his own armor, even brighter than Kikoutei itself. Just like Ryo; his spirit was strong.

That threatened Kale, intimidated him. He would never admit it, but he understood more than most how indestructible the human spirit was, even if the body was broken. Kale wanted to break that spirit more than anything. And if his spirit wouldn't break, Kale would settle for breaking his mind!

He leaned down, grabbing the boy's shirt, hearing it rip at the arm seams as he hauled Wildfire up to his feet and slammed him up against the pillar. Wildfire grunted, opening his eyes to meet Kale's, too enraged for the fear to show.

"You will submit, whelp," Kale hissed, slamming the boy back once more. "You will join my master—willingly, or not, it matters little to me either way. I will take great satisfaction in breaking you into little pieces."

"Like hell!" Wildfire growled, his hand flashing out to strike Kale square on the ear, shooting a numbing pain through his head as he jerked away, leaving a thick swatch of shirt in Kale's hand. The pain was little to Kale, but that the boy had attacked him at all enraged him, and he punched the boy in the face. He yelped, staggering backwards, sprawling onto his back as the chain around his ankle pulled taut. Kale kicked him again, in the side of the thigh, where the nerves were vulnerable and sensitive. Wildfire yelled, doubling over to clutch at his leg, whose muscles seized up. Blood ran down his face from his nose, where Kale had hit him. "Bastard!" he yelled.

"You don't learn, do you boy?" said Kale, contempt making his shake his head as he looked down at him. "You let your temper flare, and it will only get you hurt."

"Oh right," sneered Wildfire, his dark eyes narrowing, "I keep my mouth shut and you'll let me be, huh? I'm not stupid, Kale! I know what you meant when you said you're gonna—'lower our resistance'! I know what you bastards did to my best friend and to Demetrius and Tarun. I won't expect any mercy from a man who will torture a child!"

"That's good," said Kale quietly, nodding slowly, "because you will receive none." He respected the brat's courage, though he'd never say it, and it was true that he wasn't stupid. He was brash and impulsive, like some of the warlords themselves. But not stupid. If only he would realize his true place, his true potential, and join Talpa!

But he wouldn't. He wouldn't, any more than Sanada Ryo had. Master Talpa had hopes that being of spirit now that the energies of the Nether Realm and the power of the Nether Spirits would be able to corrupt Ryo and the others, but Kale had his doubts, just as he had no doubt that this boy before him would ever willingly join them. But that would not stop Kale from trying. He vowed again that if he could not turn the boy's spirit, he could at least turn his mind; everyone had his breaking point.

For a good, long time, neither of them said anything, only locked gazes; Wildfire seemed to be trying to stare him down, at the very least refusing to look away. Kale was merely assessing him, trying to interpret what he was thinking and what things could be used against him. Water...the boy feared water. If he could be kept in one of the lower chambers, it would add the stress of his fear. But Kale had to be careful not to overdo it, or the boy would grow accustomed to it. But the cold—that was a physical thing, and he knew Nohano did not like the cold.

Smiling a little, Kale stepped back once more and raised his nodachi again, chuckling softly at the fear that crossed Wildfire's face. But Kale did not call his black lightning again; he called out a chant he used seldom, for it took much of his armor's energy, a call to freeze the lands, feeling once again the raw, icy power of winter. He had limited control over how far it spread, and how severe the freeze was, and smiling in satisfaction as the damp walls iced over. Wildfire gave a shocked cry, staring in shock, his expression turning to dismay as he realized Kale intended to let him suffer in the near-freezing cold. He looked at Kale, getting to his feet and clenching his fists. "I'll get you for this, you miserable jerk!"

"We shall see," said Kale. "In the meantime, do enjoy your stay here." Kale picked up his helmet and left the chamber, feeling surprisingly content. Punishing the brat had been extremely satisfying, and he was in no way finished with him yet. Every search that turned up a failure, every day their foes eluded their search, Kale would take it out on this boy, who led the Dynasty's enemies.

Sekhmet, Dais. He felt their awareness turn to him, and caught glimpses of what they were doing. They, too, were visiting their "guests". I am going to join the search. He briefly told them how things had gone as he headed for the doors of Talpa's palace.

We'll join you later on, said Dais. For now we'll keep our little "friends" company.

Kale acknowledged, then shut off most of the mind link, keeping only the small window in his mind he had grown accustomed to having, and left them to their work. Striding across the bridge that led across Talpa's shallow moat, he turned his attention onto finding the missing Ronin. He put his helmet back on, walking out into the darkness, feeling it beginning to recharge his armor.

"Soon," he muttered to his elusive enemies, looking at the cloven, ragged sky. "Soon you will all be here at our mercy."


	20. Hunted

CHAPTER 20: Hunted

A cloud of dull, gray fog drifted down what used to be North Point Street. It was now a disturbing mix of scraggly trees, craggy rocks, broken skyscrapers, and half-destroyed houses. A large squad of armor soldiers ran behind the fog, in pursuit of those hiding within it, but once the first ranks entered the fog bank, they stopped, unable to see their own weapons, much less their quarry. The second group of soldiers entered the fog, colliding with the first ranks with a clatter of hollow metal, what was once an orderly, savage group of fighters now a disjointed jumble of armor.

Within the fog, Xander, Amaya, and Tarun ran, Tarun giggling gleefully once he realized what had happened. "That was cool, Xan!" he exclaimed, stopping for a moment to look back.

"Don't stop now!' Amaya cried. "We need to completely lose them!'

Tarun shrugged agreeably, and easily enough caught up, giving Amaya a brief look.

"Guess that was foolish of me," she muttered. "Not like you could get left behind."

Tarun chuckled, but didn't answer. He wasn't too worried about the armor soldiers, especially after he'd heard them all go down in a clatter behind them! I like this fog, Tarun said. Especially when it makes the bad guys fall all over the place.

Xan gave a laugh through the link. That's a fringe benefit for sure, He agreed. Let's make some turns here, then...get some distance, and find a place to hide. We need to get hidden, and we need to find that bastard's palace.

Why not do as they did? Amaya suggest. Find a group of the armor soldiers and follow them?

That's not a bad idea, Xander mused. But let's pick a group that doesn't want our heads on a pike?

Good idea, said Amaya.

Tarun frowned. What's a pike?

There was a moment's silence, and Tarun figured he'd taken the older kids by surprise. He often did that, especially when he asked a question they either thought odd, if they thought it was a weird time to ask that question. 'Or,' Tarun thought impishly, 'if it has to do with grown-up stuff, then they get all red trying to answer!' He liked asking about that stuff at odd times, and he supposed that hurrying away from the bad guys was an odd time to ask questions.

A moment later, Xander formed a pike made of his energy shields, and showed it to Tarun, who took it. "Oh, neat. It's kinda like what Demetrius has."

"Only his is called a naganata," said Amaya. "And is a little different. Tarun shrugged agreeably; close enough to him! It was a staff with a blade.

The threesome had gotten enough distance then from the Dynasty soldiers to slow down to a walk, and for Xan to dissipate the fog, and armor down to riot gear. Tarun did so as well, not needing his armor to keep up with them if they were walking.

It wasn't until even Tarun was feeling dog tired that they found another place to take shelter. They found a sporting goods store that had been half-crumbled, but whose second half was still standing and looked undamaged. Xander slipped inside, grumbling churlishly about the darkness, and Amaya said sweetly that she could see just fine. Tarun couldn't see either, but he could almost hear the dirty look Xander was giving her, and he giggled tiredly. He didn't like the dark, either, but he liked being out in the open and visible to the enemy far less.

The three of them were not disturbed during the night. Xander took the first (or second watch technically, since it was Tarun's first watch that spied the soldiers), and Amaya went next. The next day they were all a little grouchy and tired from the night's adventures, and Tarun said he did NOT like spending so much time in armor!

Tarun's mood improved some as the day wore on. It didn't get as light as he would have liked, but even the overcast day, and the frightening rends in the sky that showed the Nether Realm's dull sun, were better than pitch darkness. At least Tarun could see!

That afternoon, they all witnessed something very frightening. A hubbub of noise caught Amaya's ear, and she motioned Tarun and Xander to follow her as she crept close to see what the noise was. Tarun skulked behind an overturned car, and peered out from around the side. What he saw made his eyes get very big.

The first thing to be noticed was a huge group of Dynasty soldiers. Their armor was different than the ones that had come after them, and Tarun wondered if different armors had different jobs. The second thing he saw wiped the question out of his mind. There were several large groups of humans there, too. At first Tarun thought the soldiers were either attacking them of kidnapping them, like they'd grabbed people before and carried them off—but a minute's worth of watching showed the truth of it. The soldiers weren't grabbing people, kicking and screaming, off to Talpa's palace...or wherever they had been taken last time...

"Wha..." Tarun whispered, horrified.

The soldiers were rounding them up like stray sheep, striking out at any who tried to run away or strayed outside the "herd" with what looked like some kind of energy whips, something like what Xan would have if he used his shields to make one. A large, hovering boat-looking thing loomed nearby, with big cages on them, already half full of shackled people. Several of the soldiers were holding people down while others fitted chains. People who yelled or showed any defiance were being struck or hurt somehow.

What're they doing? whispered Tarun, horrified.

He could feel the others' disgust and dismay in the link, and he knew then it was bad. He clenched his teeth to hold back an outraged cry when he caught sight of someone about Amaya's age trying to sneak away, only to be struck down by one of the awful energy whips. Tarun would not have been able to think of the word "enslavement" to describe what he was seeing, but on some deep, instinctive level, he recognized it.

We gotta help them! Tarun exclaimed. Before he'd even finished the words, he'd clenched his fists, stepping out from behind the car without realizing he'd done it. The only thing he wanted to do at the moment was to attack the miserable armor soldiers that were hurting people!

A hand grabbed him by the seat of his riot gear and yanked him unceremoniously backwards, a metal-clad hand over his mouth as he opened it to yelp a protest. "Are you insane?" demanded Xander's voice as Tarun landed in his lap. He caught sight of Amaya wincing at the clank of metal, and looking anxiously at the group of soldiers. But none came their way; they were too involved in what they were doing.

B-but those people!

I know, kid, came Xander's mention voice, upset and worried. I know...but...but we can't help them right now. We'd get our asses kicked, and then we'd be no help to anyone. Talpa's already merged the worlds. Do we want to give him more power by handing ourselves...and our armors...to him so easily? He took his hand from Tarun's mouth when it was clear he wouldn't squawk.

Tarun clenched his teeth, feeling his eyes get hot, and he wiped angrily at them, getting even more angry when his gauntlets did nothing to wipe the tears out, and hurt his eye to boot. He couldn't say anything. What those soldiers were doing to the people---it was too awful to be able to say anything!

We must leave here, said Amaya, her mental "voice" shaky and unhappy. We cannot be seen.

Tarun didn't protest, even though he wanted to. As Xander and Amaya rose from their crouches, Tarun followed them as quietly as he could with his boots. Not a one of them wanted to leave, and Tarun felt it through the link. Even if he hadn't been able to feel it, he would have known it anyway. It was in the drooping of Xan's shoulders, the shine in Amaya's eyes that told she was close to crying.

Tarun didn't want to leave, either. It went against everything he knew was right—those people were in trouble, and they were being hurt. He wanted to go in and beat up the soldiers! He wanted to set the people all loose, and take them somewhere safe! It hurt him badly that he couldn't, and he didn't quite understand why.

Things did not get better throughout the day. Xan, Amaya, and Tarun spent their time dodging patrols of soldiers apparently under orders to seek them out. They came across several more groups who had been rounding people up and putting them in chains and cages. They even came across some of them who were destroying the Earth-based buildings that had survived, and completing the job on the half-fallen ones.

"Why are they doing it?" asked Tarun that night as they ate a meager supper. They were going to have to find another way of getting food if they were going to survive.

Neither Xan nor Amaya were able to answer that night. They camped out in the middle of a dark copse of trees, and Tarun did not sleep well.

The next few days were awful. All over the city, the terrified citizens were being rounded up by the armor soldiers, routed from half-collapsed buildings and alleyways, and other hidey-holes in the streets and along the coasts. As they saw more and more of it, they realized that the people were being forced to dig building foundations, or to help with the demolition of the still-standing ones.

"Talpa is rebuilding this world ," said Amaya, horrified, as they watched a group of unwilling builders.

Tarun gaped when Amaya said it. "Why?"

Xan snorted. "Because he's an asshole," he said. "He doesn't want all these mortal creations all over the place. He'll want to make this place his own."

That, more than anything, disheartened the three youths. To see their city, their home, being slowly, methodically torn down and turned into something twisted and evil... And the worst part was not being able to do anything about it. Tarun hated it. He hated that there were only three of them, and there were so many Dynasty soldiers.

"We've got to find Talpa," said Amaya grimly as the three of them trekked on, keeping to the shadows of a nearby alleyway. "We defeat him, we fix this. At least as much as it can be fixed."

"What happens if the worlds get put back apart?" Tarun asked. "Will the buildings and stuff still be destroyed?"

"I hope not," said Amaya. "They weren't last time. But this is a lot different. They may be restored, they may not."

It wasn't much, but at least it was something. Tarun would hope that it would all be fixed. But a nagging doubt tickled the back of his mind, whispering that there might not be a way to put the worlds back apart again. Tarun didn't think he wanted to live in the world anymore if it stayed like this. He wondered if there were other dimensions he could live in.

The past days hadn't been easy, either. The Dynasty soldiers were after them in force, and it was tough to avoid them all. They hadn't, either. They'd fought several times, lucky to only have gotten minor injuries from the fights, as they had no healer with them. Amaya had tried, once, to teleport to Talpa's palace, hoping that if they couldn't teleport in, at least they could get nearby, but when she tried, nothing happened. She said that last time she couldn't teleport, she'd gotten smacked, physically, by some kind of barrier. Xander pointed out that she had left from Earth, where she could teleport, and tried to go to the Nether Realm, which she couldn't get into. "It's as well," said Amaya, "because it hurts to get struck back."

None of them had seen the warlords yet, but there were only ten warlords, and that was not a big group to search a city as big as San Francisco. However no one doubted that they'd show their ugly, masked faces soon.

Their trek was a long, wearying, discouraging journey through a destroyed city. After seeing more and more groups of enslaves citizens, they'd begun avoiding any and all places where they heard human voices. It hurt to much to see it when they could do nothing to help them.

The fugitives had used up their food and water stores both, and though fresh waster wasn't ridiculously difficult to find, food was. They'd taken to raiding the remaining buildings for non-perishables, canned and boxed things they could eat without having to cook. (No one wanted to risk a fire and possibly attract unwanted attention.) There were a few fruit trees around they were able to pick from, but pickings were not too fat.

On the sixth day, they came across the supermarket. It had been left miraculously untouched by the merging, and sat, dark and dismal, abandoned by its employees and customers. The three of them crept in, Tarun staying very close to the other two; the whole place was creepy and silent, and he didn't like it much. If the situation had not been so dire, he might have liked the spooky place, but knowing what caused the market to be empty, he couldn't bring himself to enjoy it.

They crept around until they were able to find some lighters by the checkout lanes. Smoking had long since been banished in all public places (and homes with children living in them) but people still bought lighters.

Using the light of the lighters, they managed to find an aisle with mops, and made some makeshift torches. Then they set about exploring the market. There was no one there but them; it was clear that some people had been in here before, as things were missing from the shelves, but now there was no one.

"They've all been rounded up," Amaya whispered.

"They couldn't've got everyone, could they?" asked Xander, sounding shaken.

"I don't know. But they could have. At least gotten most. How long did it take last time for them to take everyone into the Nether Realm?"

Xander couldn't argue. Tarun wished that he could...it would mean that some people had escaped. But this time this frightening thing was everywhere; there was no Los Angeles to escape to, no neighboring states that were free of the dynasty's influence. Tarun wondered briefly if the other planets in the solar system were melded too, or if it only Earth.

"Come on," said Xan, walking towards the rear of the store. "Let's get our stuff and get out."

The three youths scavenged the market, taking things like bread and boxed and canned foods (and a couple of can-openers for the ones that didn't have tab-lids) and a few odds and ends. They took several lighters and some waterproof matches. They snagged bottles of water and packets of emergency hydration pills. (Amaya had the foresight to grab some painkillers and a first aid kit. Rashida was not there, and they might need something more than the little personal kits they'd brought.)

Half-hoping to find some fresh food, they wandered over towards the cold-cases, but they did not stay there long at all. They realized quite quickly that the cold-cases were not working—of course they weren't; nothing electronic in the city was working. The cloying stench of rotting meat rose in horrid wafts from the meat counter, and the buzz of flies meant that it was all probably crawling with maggots. Even Tarun wasn't curious enough to get close and look.

The dairy section was better, though not by much. Everything was in closed cartons, but the pungent reek of spoiled milk products still managed to seep out. Even the ice cream in the freezer cases was melted and dead looking.

Once the three of them had gotten everything they could carry in the backpacks, they left the supermarket, glad to be out. They buried the torches in the gray dirt to extinguish them, and left the forlorn, desolate market behind.


	21. Hardrock and Torrent

CHAPTER 21: Hardrock and Torrent

Two teenaged boys walked the city streets, keeping to the shadows, carrying ragged-looking sacks over their backs. They were thin and ragged themselves, with healing bruises and cuts on what skin was visible above the short-sleeved shirts and torn trousers. One boy, with shaggy, black hair and dark blue eyes, was barefoot, his brown-haired companion wearing a scuffed pair of sneakers. They'd traveled for days, following what street signs they could find, and making their way northward. They'd even dared once to hitch a ride on the backs of the boat-like carts the Dynasty soldiers were using to travel around the city in. Crouching on the back, stepping on the rail that was fixed to the back and clinging to the back of the cart, they'd gone unseen.

They had been horrified as they wandered the unfamiliar, broken streets. It was obvious it had once been a sprawling, prosperous city, with skyscrapers and parks and houses everywhere, and there were still some of them standing, as if they had never been touched. But jagged, barren peaks and alien pink trees and sickly bushes cropped up everywhere, some growing through houses, some choking the beaches and the shallows of the sea. Where prominent features of the Nether Realm had forced their way in, skyscrapers had been crushed, littering broken glass and metal everywhere. Even the normally unbreakable "technoglass" had been shattered by the supernatural melding of the world.

And then there were the slave squads. Since Kento and Cye had escaped from the palace, they'd begun to see groups of human slaves at the mercy of Dynasty soldiers. The first time the two of them had seen such a group, Kento had first gaped in astonishment, then he'd clenched his fists, snarled, and headed right for the group, intending to go in with fists flying. He didn't think about how he was unarmed and nearly defenseless, or how ridiculously outnumbered he was. All he saw were scores of humans in slave-chains, being ordered around and abused by the rotten, wretched Dynasty soldiers! Of all the wrong things in the world, slavery had to be at the top.

He would have gotten his ass kicked, too, had Cye not tackled him and pinned him down while frantically trying to talk some sense into his stubborn mind. Kento knew he was right, and he knew that he could not help the poor people just then by picking a fight. But that didn't stop the sheer sense of justice that had made him a Ronin Warrior from raging through his mind. How Kento would have loved to unleash his Ion Rock Crusher attack on the miserable tin cans! But while many of the less martial powers were still available to the Ronin, their power attacks were not.

"I'm all right, Cye," said Kento quietly, brushing himself off once Cye let him up. Cye looked just as upset as Kento did, even if he did have a cooler head. The two of them quietly walked away from the group, and Kento vowed he would somehow fix this. Talpa. They had to take down Talpa.

Ironically, Kento had to return the favor and sit on Cye to stop him wreaking havoc with another group of the soldiers after seeing one of them use one of the evil energy whips on a child who didn't look like she was more than six. Cye could force himself to leave a group of adults, but seeing a child hurt was enough to flare his compassionate nature into a wave of fury. Kento had to sit on him for five minutes with a hand over Cye's mouth, feeling himself like ripping someone apart at the sight of the casual cruelty. It took longer for Cye's temper to cool down; it was not easily roused, but once it was, it raged long.

And now, the pair of them were heading towards the bay; Kento could smell the salt on the breeze, and could almost feel Cye taking in the humidity from the air.

"I think that's the Golden Gate Bridge," whispered Cye, gazing out into the water of the San Francisco Bay.

"Probably," said Kento, looking dismissively at it, not interested in sight-seeing. He was tired, grouchy, and filled with helpless frustration. It wasn't in his nature, in any of their natures, to let people suffer, and it had him in an entirely grouchy mood. "Demetrius said they live in San Francisco...the Golden Gate Bridge is in San Francisco, right? California?"

Cye nodded, taking in a big breath and looking at the impossibly huge crag of rock that had sprouted out of the water next to it. "I almost expect to see the Whirlpools of Naruto under that bridge; they look a lot alike," he said. "I suppose that this has happened in Japan, also?"

Kento looked at Cye, his expression softening at seeing how upset he was. He put an arm around his shoulders. "I think so," he said quietly. "We'll get it fixed, little brother." Cye was older than Kento, but Kento was bigger, so "little brother" made sense to him. "First let's to find a place to rest. We're still not recovered completely from what those--" He broke off into Japanese, using several choice words to describe Kale and his warlords before continuing in English, "did to us."

Kento had never endured anything as horrifying as the weeks he'd spent captive in the palace. Even when he, Cye, and Sage had been brought in and tormented for several days, it had not been so bad...or so long... No armor for protection, no hope of rescue... They'd not been able to contact the current armor bearers from the Nether Realm, and they'd thought that no one would ever come for them.

And then Nohano's group had been brought in, and Kento only had a vague notion of what happened. Kale had gone to them bringing a message, luring the new Ronin to the Nether Realm...but that was the extent of his knowledge. And now...

"We'll have to find someplace hidden," Murmured Cye, looking around in dismay and swiping his filthy hair from his eyes. "Let's get a drink from the water, though, I can't even describe how thirsty I am. Still."

Kento wasn't surprised. In the spirit realm they ate and drank, though they did not have to, to survive. But here, denied both food and water, they felt it as if they would have felt it in their mortal lives. They could not die of hunger or thirst, but they could suffer because of them, and the warlords realized this early on. Even now, even after several days of drinking water every chance he got, poor Cye was still feeling the effects of it.

It hadn't been easy to find food during their travels, either. Water was no problem; even without his armor, Cye was able to drink water, contaminated or not, and to cleanse it for Kento. But food had been a problem.

Cye glanced cautiously around, then slipped down towards the water, kneeling and running his hands through it and smiling. "It's clean, at least" he said, ducking his face into the water. That was good. The Nether Realm had a tendency to taint things, but this unnatural crossbreed of a world was dominated neither by Earth nor by Talpa. "But it's salt water. I'll still have to run it through for you."

Kento nodded, and waited for Cye to get his drink, rummaging in his bag for the tin bowl he'd found in someone's yard. He knew it must have belonged to a dog, but after cleaning it out well, he felt okay with using it. It would be difficult for Cye to cleanse water for him, otherwise.

"They should be around here somewhere," said Cye. They'd been tracking down the three Ronin who had not been captured and brought into Talpa's palace. The five of them together were far more likely to survive than either group on their own.

'Though they're probably far better off than we are,' Kento thought grimly.

Kento sat back on his heels, resisting the urge to lie down right then and there and sleep. The weeks they'd all endured were unspeakable, and Kento was surprised he could stay upright at all, much less on his feet. And Ryo and the others...he'd hated leaving them. But there wasn't anything they could have done. And if Kento could help them by escaping...then he'd do it! "Yeah. I'm kinda startin' to feel the energy of a power orb, though. It's weird. It's not like any of ours felt."

"That makes sense, as they're completely different. They don't even align with elements, but of the cycles of the day." Cye ducked back down to drink some more, and Kento waited patiently. Patiently for him, at any rate. Now nearly completely soaked and looking far happier for it, Cye stood up, looking a little more energetic. "We need all the help we can get against Talpa."

"Boy, that's the truth," Kento grumbled. He took one more drink of water, using the salty sea to wash his face. He didn't even want to know what he looked like. "Let's find some place that's rocky, huh? Preferably not the Nether Realm's version of rocks. I mean something with some life in it."

"Sounds like a plan,' said Cye with a faint smile. He laid a brief hand on Kento's shoulder before stepping wearily onto the sand, away from the beach.

The two weary boys searched the transformed city for nearly an hour before finding a place they could take shelter in. Kento spotted it first, smiling faintly at the sight of it and pointing. "Over there," he said. A small series of shallow caves bordered the waterline, coincidentally very close to where Nohano's group often held their battle practices.

"Oh, that's perfect," said Cye. "Close to the water, and with plenty of rock for you."

Most of the caves were not big enough for anything bigger than a dog to hide in, but Kento spotted one that was five feet high or so; it wasn't big enough for them to stand in, but it would hide them. And Kento really didn't feel much like standing, anyway.

Once inside the cave, Cye was happy to find that there were several shallow indentations in the cave where the sea water had pooled, and he curled up in one of these. Kento was surprised into a laugh, shaking his head and sprawling on the cave floor next to Cye's watery bed.

"Night," mumbled Cye, and Kento thought he might have replied, but was far too tired to know for sure.

---

When Kento woke, he blinked blearily at Cye's still form, his face underwater, his hair drifting very slowly in the water. Had it been anyone else, Kento would have been badly alarmed, but as it was Cye, he wasn't all too concerned. Cye could breathe underwater.

Of course, Kento realized a moment later, Cye wouldn't die even if he couldn't breathe under water. It was very difficult, sometimes, to thrown off decades worth of mortal worries. He'd been a mortal far longer than he'd been a spirit, after all. "Hey, buddy," Kento murmured, giving Cye a gentle shake on the shoulder.

Cye blinked, muttering something incoherent, and turned over, but he didn't wake. Kento chuckled a little and shook him once more, watching his friend's green eyes open beneath the water's surface. He wasn't entirely thrilled to be wakened. Kento didn't particularly want to go on either, but there wasn't a lot of choice. They certainly couldn't stay in the little cave all day.

As Cye sat up, swiping his wet hair out of his eyes and shaking his head, Kento dug in the sack he'd stashed the few supplies in that they'd managed to find. They'd found the sacks in the ruins of some kind of sporting goods store. Stuff-sacks for camping, likely.

Kento took out a small can of peas and sighed. He was hungry enough to eat about a dozen hamburgers, and all he had to eat was a small can of peas.

"Lovely, isn't it?" Cye said sardonically, investigating his own supplies. He pulled out a can of tuna, blinked, then curled his lip and silently handed the can over to Kento. "Must have grabbed that without realizing it," he said, shuddering a little bit. Kento knew that to Cye, eating fish was too close to cannibalism for comfort.

Kento took the can, giving Cye a small package of cheese crackers in return, and the two boys ate in silence.

"I have the sneaking suspicion that the others have gone south, towards the palace," said Cye, once he'd finished his crackers and gotten a drink of water. "The sense of the power orbs seems to be heading that way."

"Prob'ly," said Kento, his mouth full of about half his can of peas. "They wanna get back and rescue their friends as much as we do." He swallowed his mouthful and added, "And unlike us, they have no idea that they have some allies to meet up with."

"With our luck, they'll think we're enemies," said Cye ruefully, standing up and wincing as he stretched. "I am still sore," he said with a sigh, checking himself over. "Everything's mostly healed, but I'm still sore."

Kento stood also, putting an arm gently around Cye's shoulders. "I know, me too," he said. "Don't worry, Cye, we'll get those goons back tenfold for that."

Cye laughed suddenly and nodded. "Definitely. Hey. I wonder if we can don the armor still. We're spirit, but I don't see why we couldn't still wear our armor. It's too bad we weren't able to get to the orbs before we got out of there." It wasn't as if they hadn't tried. They didn't like the idea of Talpa having the orbs much more than they liked the idea of him having the armors themselves.

"I'd say we could," said Kento. "Though it'd feel weird after all this time." Cye nodded. "Well, let's get outta here. The journey of a thousand miles starts with one step...or however that goes."

Cye laughed again, shaking his head. "You surprise me sometimes, when you come up with those old proverbs."

Kento managed a grin. "That is how it goes, right?"

"I think so. Though I really hope it's not going to be a thousand miles. It'd take us years at this rate."

Kento snorted. "Hey, we're not that feeble. Well at least I'm not. Can't speak for you." He grinned more widely as Cye glared at him, then splashed him with cold water. Kento yelped in protest, taking a step back. "Sheesh, no reason to get physical!" Cye only gave him a smirk before stepping out of the cave.

---

Several hours later, the pair of them were walking through a relatively untouched area of the city, where the Dynasty soldiers had not yet gotten to. The pair of them were staking out a supermarket, wondering if it was safe to go inside and find some decent rations, when Kento suddenly grabbed Cye's arm, making him wince in startled pain. "Sorry, buddy," said Kento distractedly, letting go of his arm, "But look!" He pointed urgently, and Cye turned his head to see.

It was not too difficult to spot: three figures, wearing unfamiliar sub-armor. Kento felt a sort of chill from Cye through their mind link on seeing the trio, and seeing how dark two of the sub-armors were, looking more like the warlords' subgear than Ronin armor. The smallest one wore white and bright yellow, more like the original armors. "What do you think?" Cye asked quietly, peering at the group as they left the market Cye and Kento had just been checking out.

"I dunno," said Kento. "I feel pretty paranoid, I gotta admit. And those two dark ones look more like warlords than Ronin. But they've got armor orbs for sure, I can feel it. Dais can't reproduce a feeling, can he? Only sight and sound?"

"And touch, I think," said Cye. "Physical senses. But gut feelings? I don't think he can. The armors speak to our spirits. I can't see how he could create something that would fool our spirits...could he?"

"No," said Kento confidently, even though he wasn't certain at all. "I don't think so. Not without it feeling tainted, at any rate. He might be able to make a warlord armor orb—do they even have armor orbs?—look like one of ours...but not feel like one of ours."

"But you're not sure."

Kento shook his head; Cye could always tell what he was feeling, no matter how much he tried to hide it. "No," he admitted. "But we're not gonna get anywhere hiding here like a couple of scared rabbits. Let's go talk to them."

"All right." Cye took a big breath and stood.

For a few minutes, the two of them merely followed the group and observed, trying to stay out of sight.

If it was an illusion of Dais's, it certainly was a convincing one. The girl, whose name Kento didn't remember, looked a whole lot like Ryo did, and Kento remembered that she was his great granddaughter. The older boy looked tired and haggard, though he still found the energy to tease his friends, bantering with the little one, and generally helping to keep the group's morale up. And the child, he managed to giggle and bounce around, even with all of the misery that surrounded him. He even began to sing at one point, though he wasn't great at it. He still sang, not caring that he wasn't perfect, and Kento found that it was even lifting his spirits.

"Okay, Dais couldn't possibly manage that illusion,' said Cye with a chuckle. "I don't think it's possible for him to create something that pure."

"Unless it's pure evil," Kento retorted. "But I don't think that's the case. Let's go say hi, and see what they do."

Cye nodded, his expression somewhere between hopeful and wary. After all they'd been through, Kento didn't blame him; he felt pretty leery, too, with all of the Dynasty's minions all over the place. No matter how convincing the whole thing was, there was always that chance it could be a Dynasty trick, and Kento had been fooled by Dais enough as it was.

Kento and Cye were ready for anything as they stepped out into plain sight, looking after the three of them. Cye nearly made Kento jump out of his skin when he called hesitantly, "Hey!"

The three youths ahead of them spun around quickly enough to put Kento and Cye on the defensive, both of them taking a step back, adopting fighting stances. Kento felt a paranoid chill freeze his spine; maybe they were Dais's! He and Cye might well have just made a dire mistake.


	22. Trust

CHAPTER 22: Trust

After a week of being chased down by the Dynasty, none of the day-cycle Ronin were feeling very relaxed. When someone called from behind them, they all spun around, alarmed, and Tarun wondered how someone could've snuck up on them like that! Xander armored up, stepping protectively in front of Amaya and Tarun. Tarun frowned and stepped to one side so that he could see...there was something odd about the two teenagers who looked as though they were ready for a fight. Something familiar.

"Who are you?" Xander demanded. He had made no weapon yet, but he was ready to form one at a moment's notice.

Tarun did not armor up; neither did Amaya. They both stepped up level to Xander, and Tarun squinted through the gloom at the two boys, and his eyes got very wide. Before they could answer, Tarun gasped, "Holy cow!" He startled Xander, but only barely noticed it. "I know who those guys are! They look just like the pictures!"

Everyone seemed a little confused, then. The black-haired boy's brow furrowed in suspicion, and the brown-haired boy relaxed his stance. Tarun started to take a step forward, but was grabbed by Xan, who frowned. "Hold on...who are they?"

"Ronins!" Tarun exclaimed with a grin. "Torrent and Hardrock! The other Ronins, the ones that were here before us!"

"'Ronin'," Amaya corrected automatically, but her wide-eyed gaze was on the two teenagers. "No plurals in Japanese...they are Ronin!"

The black-haired one spoke, clearly still suspicious of the three of them. "Hold on, how could you know who we are? We've never met!" His Japanese accent was not very strong, and he spoke perfect English.

"We saw pictures!" said Tarun with a grin. "Newspaper ones."

The quiet boy put a hand on his friend's arm, and the two of them were silent for a few moments. The black-haired boy blinked, and then cocked his head as if to ask, "Are you sure?" The other boy nodded, and both of them turned to Tarun's little group.

"If we approach, will you attack?" asked the black-haired boy.

"Nah," said Tarun with a grin, answering for the group. Xander frowned down at him, but finally he shrugged and took a step back, but he did not armor down. This seemed to offend the black-haired one, in particular, the boy Tarun had recognized as having borne the Hardrock armor. He scowled, but said nothing, shrugging at his friend and taking a step forward.

Xander was tense as they neared, but Tarun was not; he knew these guys were allies, and he was excited to meet them. All the time the others could contact the Ronin that had first had their armor, and now here were two of them for Tarun to meet! Torrent, the one whose eyes were green like Killian's, and his hair brown, seemed to also decided that they were among friends. "I'm Cye of Torrent," said he, giving them a warm smile.

Like Killian, he must have aligned with Trust, said Amaya with a small laugh. He knows we are not enemies.

"Kento," said the other boy shortly.

"I'm Tarun," said Tarun, a curious grin on his face as he looked the boys over, though the grin faded a little when he saw the fading bruises on their skin, and remembered that they'd been prisoners for a very long time. He almost wished they would come across a warlord. Tarun was in the mood to fight one—preferably Kale.

The others introduced themselves also, and for a moment there was a tense silence. Amaya finally broke it by suggesting they go something a little less visible to talk, because the armor soldiers were everywhere. Everyone agreed; staying out in the open was something none of them wanted to do, and so the group headed off towards the side of the road. The tension was not as bad as it could be...but it was still pretty thick! Xander and Kento were the most leery, and kept glancing at one another as if expecting a sneak attack. Tarun's group and Kento's group kept a small distance between them, and kept glancing at the other with mixed curiosity and leeriness.

Tarun rolled his eyes, but he began to grin again, not able to feel irritated for two long. Five was certainly a better number than three and he'd always wanted to meet the other Ronin! It was only two more people, but it still seemed like a lot, and even though two of them had no weapons, they still knew how to fight. Tarun bet they could teach some really cool stuff! He couldn't wait until they could exchange stories.

The five of them moved off of the main street back towards the supermarket, gathering behind the building in a service alley that housed an overflowing Dumpster. The thing didn't smell so great, but at least it was away from the main streets. Amaya suggested they all sit down, as sitting was not an aggressive position, and it might help to quell some of the nervousness. It was a good idea, too! Everyone seemed to relax once they all sat on the cracked concrete. When everyone was sitting on the ground, it was tough to feel so suspicious.

"Okay," said Kento bluntly. "Cye says you're okay, but I'm pretty paranoid. Dais had fooled us before...so I'm just a little bit wary that you guys are one of his illusions."

Tarun scowled, clenching a fist. "Dais! I don't like him!" Xander hastily shushed him, and Tarun lowered his voice, but it was no less vehement. "He's a big creepo!"

Surprisingly, Kento laughed, shaking his head ruefully. "Yeah...he is that. And a few other things." Tarun bet those "other things" were things Suisei wouldn't let him say!

"What do you mean by his illusions?" said Amaya.

"Yeah," said Xander. "The only time we ever saw him do that was against the Inferno armor when Nohano had it...and then it wasn't much. Just armor soldiers, and things to distract him."

"You're lucky," said Cye quietly. "Dais has done some nasty things, including making our friends look like him, so that we attacked them." Tarun saw Kento clench his own fists furiously as Cye spoke. "He pulled that on Kento once, and he ended up hurting Sage in that fight. So he is a little wary."

"How can we assure you that we are no illusions?" asked Amaya softly. "We need to join our forces against the Dynasty."

"Yeah," said Xander disgustedly, "those miserable Dynasty soldiers have been after us for a week now, and our friends are back at Talpa's damned palace!"

"Ours, too," said Cye.

Tarun frowned, looking down for a moment, and then shrugging. He was certain that Kento and Cye were friends, and he wanted them to know it too! He closed his eyes, concentrating for just a moment, until the riot gear vanished, dropping the bright armor orb into his hands. He looked at Kento, who looked a little surprised, and held the orb out slowly. "Go ahead," said Tarun with a grin. "You can look at it if you want. You can tell it's a real one, right? 'Cause we can."

Kento looked at the little orb for a few moments before taking it, wincing slightly as if he expected it to zap him. When it didn't, he actually smiled, turning over the little ball in his hands and peering at the kanji within. "Omoi," he murmured. "Hope, then?"

Tarun grinned. "Yeah! And, if you ask Xander, annoying hyperness, too."

That made everyone laugh, and Tarun was very glad to feel the last of the tension washing away. Laughter was one of the best inventions in the world, Tarun decided, as Kento handed the armor orb back. He was glad he had done it. He'd shown trust in the newcomers by removing his protection and letting them take the armor orb. And they'd shown their trust by letting down their guard.

"Nothing wrong with a bit of energy," said Cye with a smile.

"Yeah," said Xan, "but a lot can drive a guy up the wall."

"Aw, it's not so bad," said Kento as the others chuckled. "I have four younger siblings. I'm used to it." He winked at Tarun, who tried to wink back, but gave up when he could only blink both eyes. He had to work on that.

"Well," said Cye, taking a big breath. "First of all...this market. You were coming out of it when we saw you. Are there supplies inside? Kento and I are pretty short on food, particularly. Water's no big deal, because I can cleanse whatever we find, but food, we've not found a whole lot."

"We know how that feels," muttered Xander. "But yeah, there's loads of stuff in there. I felt kinda bad taking it, but...you know, what ya gotta do, ya gotta."

"Somehow I don't think the owners will press charges," said Kento wryly. And then, in a grimmer voice, he added, "If they're still even able to."

"You've seen what they're doing with the citizens?" said Cye. It wasn't really a question; it was impossible to have missed the large groups of humans, forced to work building barracks for the soldiers, and other dark places.

"Yes," said Amaya soberly. "We have."

"And boy, did it make us mad," growled Tarun.

"Look," said Xander, "Let's get inside the store and get some supplies for you guys. Maybe even some better sacks to carry the stuff in—those look pretty worn out." He nodded at the ragged cloth sacks Cye and Kento had been carrying. "We were lucky enough to have taken our own backpacks from our house...I wonder if it's even still there," he finished glumly.

Tarun stood, considering his power orb for a moment, then shrugging and gripping the sphere, focusing on forming his riot gear. He didn't much like wearing it all the time, but wanted even less to be caught without it if the enemy were to track them down!

"We don't even know where Talpa's friggin' palace is," said Xan as the five youths crept into the silent market. They made a new batch of mop-torches, setting them ablaze with lighters and lighter fluid, and began prowling the aisles for rations.

"Oh, we know that," said Cye, as Kento grabbed a packet of hamburger rolls from the ground, looking a lot more cheerful. "We...we escaped from there."

Xander stopped short, his eyes widening hopefully. "You do! Great!"

"Yeah," said Kento, ripping open the plastic bag and grabbing out a roll. "We just gotta figure out a battle plan to get our friends out. Five against 80 million isn't a great set of odds." He tore a big bite out of the hamburger roll, making Tarun giggle a little.

"Is it that bad?" asked Amaya, as they walked, looking for some better containers for Cye and Kento to use before they worried about grabbing food. It would determine how much food they could bring.

"Just about," said Cye quietly. "They've Taken Ryo, Sage, and Rowen into their purification chamber. I'm not sure if you know what I mean when they say that. It's a large cavern, with orange-ish water covering the bottom--" He broke off as Tarun stopped, his eyes going wide, his fists clenching. He certainly knew what it meant. "You've been there?" asked Cye, his voice sympathetic.

"Yeah," said Tarun with a scowl. "Talpa put me there! And I didn't like it!" It was a grand understatement, of course.

Kento scowled, looking down at Tarun, his expression startling the boy for a moment. Kento could look pretty scary when he was mad! "Ryo told us some of the shit they did to you," he said vehemently. "I knew Talpa was a lowlife, but I can't believe even he'd torture a kid!"

"It wasn't even him that did," said Tarun, biting his lip. "It was Jin Tanaka."

Cye made a sort of angry hissing sound. "We saw her a few times ourselves," he said. "I wouldn't care to repeat the experience."

"I know," said Xander, taking a big breath. "Nohano's been having dreams that you guys were in trouble. We about went crazy trying to figure it out."

"Let's get our supplies," said Cye after a moment. He was looking nervously around, and Tarun didn't blame him. It was creepy! And there was a certain feeling of vulnerability in the market, enclosed by four walls, and unable to see trouble if it were to approach. "Then perhaps we can find a place to camp and exchange stories...and make plans."

"A good idea," agreed Amaya.

Tarun looked back at Kento, who had finished off the package of four rolls, and hung back to walk alongside him. He liked Kento, his open, honest demeanor, how easy his friendliness came once his suspicions had been eased. You didn't have to guess about what he meant or how he was feeling, and then there was his grin. That was Tarun's favorite part. Most older kids didn't grin much, not like little kids did.

"Hey, kid," said Kento easily, looking down and giving a sort of half smirk. "How you holdin' up?"

"Fine," said Tarun honestly. "A lot of bad stuff's happened. But we're okay. And we're gonna kick some butt, so the rest of things can be okay."

Kento laughed, blinking a little in mild surprise. "You're okay, half-pint," he said, and Tarun put his hands on his hips, giving Kento an indignant look. "You said your name's Tarun, right?"

Tarun nodded. "Yeah, and that's Xander and Amaya." The other four had walked on ahead, heading for the non-foods section of the store in search of backpacks. "Back-to-School" was several months distant, but they often had luggage-like things for sale in the non-foods areas. Most supermarkets were not just grocery stores anymore. They sold everything from clothing to aspirin to goldfish.

"So I don't guess any of the hamburger's still good, huh?" said Kento, looking disappointed. "I could eat about five or six."

"Only five or six?" came Cye's amused voice from ahead; he had paused to smile back at Kento and Tarun.

Kento did not miss a beat as he replied, "For a start. An appetizer."

Tarun giggled. "Well, all the meat's all gross and maggoty," he said matter-of-factly, making Cye winced, and Kento raise his eyebrows. "But the de—hy...er...the dry stuff..."

"Dehydrated?" Xander supplied, looking amused.

"Yeah! The de...hydrated stuff I bet is fine!"

Kento stopped for a moment, looking as if Tarun had suggested he make a meal out of sawdust. "Dehydrated hamburger?" he asked. "Are you crazy?"

"Suisei thinks I am," said Tarun, "But yeah, there's dehy...didn't you know that?" It hadn't occurred to Tarun that Kento would not know of all the current technology and products they had in the 2090's. Kento had lived into the mid 2000's, but so many things had been invented in the past twenty or thirty years, that it would be impossible to know about them all!

"It sounds revolting," said Kento. "What an awful thing to do to a hamburger!"

Everyone laughed at that. "They're pretty good, actually," said Xander. "We didn't bother getting any because we had little water to use, and didn't want to risk a fire to cook them. But...hey, we might get one of those camp stoves. They don't let off any light, just heat!"

The group now had some specific things to look for, and set about seeking them out. The talk had died off as they focused on gathering their supplies, finding a pair of large backpacks in the school supplies aisle, then heading for the grocery section. While the others headed for the bread aisle, Tarun followed Kento into the aisle that listed the dehydrated foods, and watched in amusement as Kento looked dubiously at the boxed meals, his lip set in a sort of uncertain, half-disgusted curl. "You're sure about these things?" he asked, picking one up.

"Sure!" said Tarun. "I eat them a lot, I bring 'em to school 'cause it's easier. Then I don't have to put anything in the 'fridge or anything."

"Well, I guess it's better than nothing," said Kento, shrugging and stuffing several of them into his backpack. They made ideal travel rations, because they were packed in very small boxes, and some of them had a lot of fats and nutrients. "Though ya know...we should have a large meal here. Eat as much as we can while we have the whole store here at our disposal. 'Cause once we leave, we're on our own, and we'll only have what we bring with us."

That was a good idea! Using the mind link, Tarun relayed what Kento had said, and got agreement from Xan and Amaya. "Xander says that Cye said it's a good idea, too."

And so ten minutes later, after having stuffed the bags to bursting with travel foods, the five fugitive youths sat in a circle in an open area of the store, where they could at least see for several yards around them. A camp stove sat on a metal frying pan so they didn't melt the linoleum beneath them, sizzling as the group cooked up a mess of dehydrated burgers. Everyone watched as Kento bit into the first one, watching as his expression turned from leery anticipation, to surprised appreciation.

"These are good!" he exclaimed with a laugh once he'd swallowed his mouthful. "I'd've never believed it. They had some dehydrated foods out when I was, well, alive. But they were horrible."

"We're so glad you approve," said Cye with a chuckle, grabbing a burger of his own. "I'm certain technology has improved a great deal since then."

There wasn't much talk as everyone alternately cooked and ate. Kento shoveled in burgers like there was no tomorrow, and Tarun was highly impressed with how much (and how fast) he ate. Tarun at first tried to keep up with Kento, but was beginning to feel way too full to even think of succeeding. At least he wouldn't be hungry for a while!

When everyone had had their fill and then a bit more, and had raided the soda aisle for caffeine, Xander suggested that maybe they should camp right there in the market. "I know we can't see the outside," he said, "And it's spooky as hell. But it also means that they can't see in, either. It might be our best bet for shelter, at least tonight. The...the wrecking crews haven't made it anywhere near this far yet."

Amaya did not like the idea, and Cye was a little leery of it as well, but Xander had a point. It was well hidden, and the area around it had been fairly deserted. Returning to the open area they'd made their supper in, they sat down, Tarun and his friends dragging out blanket to sit on. (Tarun shared his with Kento, and Amaya with Cye.) Cye said they'd have to grab some blankets before they left the store.

"Well," said Amaya hesitantly. "I guess we should share stories."


	23. Supplies and Palaver

CHAPTER 23: Supplies and Palaver

For a minute, no one seemed to know how to start. Then Amaya asked how Cye and the others had gotten captured by the Dynasty in the first place, which seemed as good a place as any to begin.

"It took us totally by surprise," said Kento with a scowl. "We never thought Talpa could pull something like that on us, not even with all of his power."

"It was only bad luck that let him do it," said Cye in disgust. "If Badamon hadn't noticed our presence—but I guess that's kinda getting ahead of the whole thing. First...maybe we should tell you a little about the Spirit Realm."

Tarun listened attentively as Cye and Kento began their story, handing the thread of the tale back and forth (and arguing occasionally) with the ease of long-time practice. It was clear they'd been friends for years, to the point that they seemed to know what the other was thinking. True, they had a mind link, but Tarun didn't think that was the only reason.

The Spirit Realm was a dimension much like Earth or the Nether Realm. There were people, buildings, communities, families... It was a place of peace, for the most part, where those of good heart went when their mortal bodies died. "It's not so much heaven, as a lot of religions say," said Cye. "It's more just...a place. It's a place where you can live in pure spirit."

"It's a lot like life, actually," said Kento. "We're solid to each other in the Spirit Realm, and everything we touch or build there is solid."

"Not everyone goes to the Spirit Realm on death, however," said Cye. "In our belief, those who had done evil in their lives, and had not learned the right way before death, are reincarnated at death, so they have another chance to learn. When they do, no matter how many lives it takes, then they go to the Spirit Realm."

It sounded like a pretty cool place to Tarun! Certainly a lot better than the bleak Nether Realm! The Ronin lived in this Spirit Realm for years after their deaths, reuniting with friends they'd known, and people they had fought alongside. The Ancient One and Anubis were there, along with Mia and her grandfather. (Kento'd had to explain who all of those people were, since only Amaya knew the legends well enough to really know.)

Once they were pure spirit, they took the form of boys once more, since that's what they were, in spirit. Tarun thought it was really cool that you were whatever age your spirit really was. As a result, there were all ages in the Spirit Realm, from infancy to over 100 years old.

"It also depends on when you die," said Kento. "Most twenty-year olds don't have a soul older than their age. So they'd be twenty at the oldest when they get there. It's kinda complicated, I guess. But it makes sense to us.""

"Complicated" was right! Still it was really interesting.

"We're still not completely certain how it happened," said Cye, lying down tiredly on the blanket Amaya was sharing. He didn't look much like a warrior, then. He just looked like a kid. A tired kid, at that, who'd gotten into a fight that he'd clearly lost. Tarun looked over the bruises, frowning at the sight of them. He didn't like noticing the bruises and other signs of injury. It just made him mad all over again.

"We were all together when it did," said Kento, scowling darkly, his brows furrowed so much they nearly met in the middle. "It was quick, so quick that none of us could react, even if we coulda. Anubis was there, and he didn't even have time to react. It was just a second of...well I dunno what it was. It felt like electricity, kinda. It was some kinda energy. But tainted, like everything else about the Dynasty."

"The next second we were in Talpa's palace," said Cye, shaking his head slowly. "None of us could believe it—I think we were all in shock. We hardly had time to realize where we were before we were jumped on by Kale...and a whole lot more warlords than we ever fought. We knew there were more, just from talking with your, well, ours, too, friends. But it was still a shock to be attacked by ten warlords in full armor."

"We fought 'em," said Kento, "but talk about outnumbered..."

Tarun knew what had happened then, the basics at least, even before Cye and Kento told it. They'd been chained up in a little chamber in the depths of the palace's dungeon, and subjected to days of torment from their captors. Revenge from Talpa, having the Ronin at their mercy, revenge for his defeat. The Nether Spirits were there, too, taking strength and helping to power Talpa's dark magic with the energy of the captive Ronin.

Tarun bit his lip as the two boys related this part of the tale. They didn't sugarcoat anything for his benefit, though he almost wished they had. Seeing the fear in Cye's eyes as he told of the ordeal, or seeing Kento clench his shaking hands into fists hurt Tarun's spirit. He knew, at least a little, what they'd gone through!

On impulse, Tarun moved over and took Kento's hand. Kento blinked, looking down in surprise, then smiled in appreciation. Tarun didn't let go. He just grinned up at Kento, a gesture of friendship, and continued to listen.

It was at that part of the story that things got uncertain. Cye said that Talpa gloated at them several times ("Yeah!" said Kento, "and man was I sick of listening to his miserable mouth!") and claimed that Badamon had been responsible for bringing the Ronin into the realm.

"It wasn't until later that Talpa told us how he'd done it," said Cye. "I'm sure the others have told you...but their armor lets them contact its previous bearer. And we had come to them in spirit form to help them with the Inferno. Well, I guess we left a sort of...spiritual fingerprint or something in Talpa's realm. A kind of anchor. It allowed him to be able to connect with us in the Spirit Realm."

"The closest we can figure is it was some kind of spell, or ritual, or something that Badamon cooked up," said Kento in disgust. "Talpa sure as hell didn't tell us any more!"

"'Course at the time we weren't in too much of a frame of mind to care at the moment," put in Cye. He gazed morosely at the floor for a few moments before looking back up. "The next we knew, your friends had been brought in as captives, too."

Xander snarled, "The bastards—when I next see those assholes, I'm gonna kick some ass!"

"How'd you guys escape?" asked Tarun.

"It was actually Nohano's idea," said Kento. "That's your leader's name, right?" They all nodded. "He told Ryo we should pretend to be too weak to fight...and man I hate to admit it, but it didn't take a whole lot of pretending. We'd been chained to that wall for I dunno how long. They didn't give us anything to eat or drink, either. We don't need it to live...I mean we're not mortal anymore. But we still felt the effects. It's not like that in the Spirit Realm itself. We can eat and drink if we want, but not doing it doesn't hurt us. But here..."

"Something happened in the magic that made us solid, here in this Nether Realm," said Cye. "We're far more affected by things here."

"Anyway," said Kento, "We sorta just hobbled along when they were takin' us out. We decided...well, Ryo decided...the rest of us weren't real happy about it...that only two or three of us would escape. We knew all of us didn't have a chance, and the others volunteered to fight, to make as much a distraction as they could to let us escape. Guess it had to be someone, and if even one of us got away, he'd at least be able to try and help the others."

"We searched a long while before we found you," said Cye. "We can sense the armor orbs, even though yours are unfamiliar, so that helped."

"I tell ya," said Kento, "It's weird being around all this armor, and not wearing any."

Everyone fell quiet for a few minutes, digesting the story Cye and Kento had told. Tarun bit his lip, letting go of Kento's hand and putting his elbows on his knees, his face in his hands. He couldn't imagine enduring that for days much less weeks. It had only been three days for him, and he'd felt he couldn't endure it any more... It was why he'd told the warlords what they wanted. He wondered just for a moment how it would be to be forced to endure it...to be chained up somewhere, knowing the enemy didn't want anything from you, they just wanted to keep you alive and torture you and nothing you told them would make them stop. Tarun swallowed hard, shivering a little, and was a bit surprised when Kento slung an arm around him and pulled him into a sort of hug.

"Okay there, kid?"

Tarun nodded, though it wasn't precisely true. Kento didn't let go, and Tarun appreciated it. In fact he banished his riot gear (he felt fairly safe at the moment and it was really annoying him) and leaned against the older boy, wishing that he could be Tarun's big brother—he'd make a really cool big brother!

Amaya began her story then, explaining briefly about Xander's father, and of how he'd gone after Xander several times. She told of how he'd shot Killian, (Cye snarled angrily, a sound Tarun wouldn't have expected to come from the mild-mannered Torrent bearer) and how they hadn't heard anything from him for several weeks after that.

She told of how she and Xander were sneak-attacked while she was teaching Xan some sword techniques, and how they'd woken to find their armor orbs had been taken, and that Xan's father looked dazed and blank.

"Like he was stoned, or something," said Xander. "I woulda sworn he was on drugs."

"Lemme guess," said Kento grimly. "A Nether Spirit?"

Amaya nodded. "Yes. I did not realize it at first. But I knew the stories. Your deeds are on record in Japan, and my grandmother is Sanada Ryo's daughter. She knew most of the stories as well. It explained why he had taken me, also. Talpa must have wanted us both out of the way, and sent one of his spirits to use Xan's father."

"So how'd you get out?" Cye asked.

Amaya looked at Tarun, who blushed faintly. "That's Tarun's story...I'll let him tell it."

Though he was a little embarrassed at the credit, Tarun was still eager to tell the story. He liked telling tales almost as much as listening to them. He began with how he'd gone with the other Ronin to the fence, wanting to get in and rescue Ryo and the others from Talpa, and, in tones of great indignation, about the phantom things within the fog.

"Those," said Kento, curling his lip. "Those things are mean! Talk about a pain in the butt!"

"They sure were," said Tarun with a scowl. "They kept throwing me around! And then I heard Suisei yell in the mind link about Sekhmet's poison, and yelled to stay away from the red parts! It got everyone though...everyone but me. Those phantom things threw me out of the fence! And I landed right on the street, in front of everyone...it really hurt, too, and cracked the street!"

"Been there and done that," Cye muttered.

Tarun told of how the fence was gone when he turned around, and how he'd been completely cut off from the others. How he'd realized he'd been deliberately left out, and not knowing why. The only thing he had left to do, then, was to try and find Amaya and Xan.

"I have the ability to teleport," Amaya broke in. "But as he—Xan's father, that is—had taken my orb, I could not armor up to do so," she said. "If only I'd still had it, I could have gotten us both out. I think it's a good thing that Tarun was left out. We would have had a very difficult time escaping otherwise."

"It sure was scary," said Tarun earnest, shaking his head a little. "I was never alone before like that! So I told the A-T- guys—" (Xander had to explain who the Anti-Terrorist Squads were and what they did) "—to get people in the shelters, 'cause last time the Dynasty did all this stuff, they wrecked the whole entire city. And I ran home."

The rest of the story was quick enough to tell. How Tarun had grabbed provisions, and how Amaya had told him to look up eclipses while the sky outside began to cloud up.

"I bet that's when Talpa was doing the ritual to bind the worlds," said Kento soberly. "It was all beginning then, so you guys started seeing signs of it."

It had been creepy, no doubt. Tarun related how Xan had told him how to use the GPS system in Suisei's computer, and of how the power had suddenly cut out when he was five blocks away. "I found them though!" said Tarun proudly. "I even fought Xan's dad. He was kinda easy to fight though. He didn't know how to fight. He had a stunner gun, though. But my armor just used the energy!"

"Watching the worlds meld was horrible," Amaya whispered in tones of awed horror. "It was nothing that should ever happen in the natural world."

"Yeah, well, it don't look too great now, either," said Kento with a sigh. He removed his arm from around Tarun and leaned back against a shelf full of picnic gear.

"We're being hunted down, too," said Xander. "All of us, I guess. But we've got the armor orbs—I think the damned warlords can sense them like we can."

"They do have to be fairly close, I think," said Cye. "We do, anyway. Within a few miles."

"Well they haven't found us yet," said Tarun brightly. "I'll take first watch, okay? I'm not tired." He had eaten an entire package of dehydrated ice cream, and the sugar high had not worn off. Sugar highs did not wear off easily on Tarun.

"Sounds great, kid," said Xander. "I'm about ready to fall on my face." Suiting word to deed, Xan let himself topple over onto his blanket, making Tarun snicker.

"You keep watches," said Cye, looking impressed. "That's good. With three, well, five of us now, it should be easy enough to have a constant watch and still get enough sleep."

"That's great," said Xan, "because I tell you, five hours of sleep just doesn't cut it. Except for the Energizer Bunny over there."

He jerked a thumb at Tarun, who took extreme offense. "I'm not!" Tarun protested loudly. "He's pink!" The Energizer Bunny was an old advertising gimmick that had survived for several decades, and which Tarun bet wouldn't ever go away—just like the ads said, he kept going and going and going. Both Cye and Kento laughed.

"Don't knock it," Kento joked to Xan. "If his energy gets you extra sleep, I wouldn't give him too much grief about it!"

Xander finally laughed, reaching up to ruffle Tarun's hair. "Nah. I don't mind at all...well...night. Xan closed his eyes, and Tarun turned to Kento and Cye. Cye had also lain down and closed his eyes, but Kento seemed wide awake.

"I might just sit the watch with you, kid," said Kento. "Not that I think you can't handle it, but I'm still kinda paranoid about this whole situation, and I don't think I could sleep right now if I tried."

Tarun felt rather put out, but he nodded and stood up, quietly pacing their odd campsite.

During the next couple of hours, Tarun had to keep re-lighting and replacing the mop-torches, because they all kept burning down. He was pleased to see that Kento did eventually fall asleep, and Tarun decided he wouldn't wake him for a watch. At least not yet. Kento and Cye sure needed sleep after what they'd been through!

All of them did take a turn watching during the night, a night that seemed to cement their trust in one another. Tarun was glad; he really liked Kento and Cye, and didn't like to think that they were still distrustful.

When the morning came, the five of them ate as much as they could hold, then cautiously left the store. Peering from out of the back loading doors, seeing that the coast seemed clear, they'd set off once more. Now they had a destination; Cye and Kento knew exactly where Talpa's palace was, and could begin leading the way back. It was time to come up with a plan of action.


	24. Dynasty's Fury

CHAPTER 24: Dynasty's Fury

The ground was cold, but there was nowhere else to lie; Kale had made sure of that. Since the bastard had first come in and confronted Nohano, he had kept the temperature not too much higher than freezing, making Nohano miserable even when there was no one else there. Nohano lay on the stone floor, curled up as tightly as he could, his hands tucked under his arms and his pant legs pulled down over his feet. Nohano had been wearing jeans when they all headed out to get into the Nether Realm, which was lucky he supposed, but he'd only had on a thin T-shirt. He was shivering badly, having suffered from mild hypothermia for the last several days.

He didn't know how many days; he had completely lost track of time. He didn't know if it was day or night, or even what was happening to his friends. He hadn't been able to concentrate enough to establish the mind link except for once or twice, and it had been weak and brief. The chamber was almost completely dark, lit only by the sick, blue candles Talpa had all over his palace, and the only time the door was ever opened was when Kale or one of the others came in. Nohano didn't even have a place to go to the bathroom, and he'd taken to peeing around the far side of the pillar.

And there was something else. Nohano remembered when he had first bonded with Wildfire, at the Irwindale Faire when he had first met Kale. He remembered how it had coiled around his own spirit, merging with it, a relationship so deep he could scarcely understand it. And as he'd worn it and fought with it more and more often, that relationship had grown. It had been a horrifying sensation to be forcefully torn from it, and had the frightening feeling it had injured his own spirit. Could a spirit be physically injured?

But it wasn't all gone. Nohano didn't know how, or why, but he still felt Wildfire's presence within himself, when he was calm, and was able to concentrate on it. It sometimes kept him warm during long nights in the near-freezing temperature of the room, or bolstered his courage when he began to despair. He couldn't figure out if it was him, or if some of Wildfire had stayed behind, but he was grateful for it. He could figure it out later, when he wasn't a captive of the Dynasty.

He did, however, know that Tarun, Amaya, and Xander had not been caught. Nor had Cye and Kento, the ones who had escaped the palace. He knew because every time Kale came into the chamber, furious, he took it out on Nohano. He knew now what Ryo and his friends had endured in the weeks before Nohano's group had gotten Kale's message. Even having no idea of time, Nohano was sure that not one day had passed without someone coming in and hurting him—usually Kale, with his nodachi, or even his fists and feet. Nohano fought him, but he was unarmed and clumsy with cold, and he hadn't eaten since he was captured. His "resistance" had been reduced mostly to curling up and covering his arms and hoping that it didn't last too long.

Kale wasn't the only one who'd come in to torment him, though he was the most frequent. Jin Tanaka had come in to demonstrate her dubious skill, and the black woman who said her name was Haazita Mushota had beaten the hell out of him a few times; the woman was strong, and Nohano wasn't easily able to fight her back. It was almost constant, inevitably leaving Nohano sobbing, or unconscious, in the chamber, lying against the chilly ground. He wasn't sure how much more of it he could take, and even wished several times he'd never become a Ronin, and hating Talpa and the Dynasty more than he'd ever hated everyone. They'd killed Robert, they'd hurt his friends and destroyed his home city, and now... How much abuse could a person take without losing him mind? Nohano felt like it was going to happen, and the thought scared him. Physical injuries could heal, but psychological ones...

Nohano was not in much pain at the moment; Sekhmet had come into the chamber twice to heal him, though "heal" was a term Nohano only used loosely. It was more agonizing than half of what Kale did to him, even if it did technically heal his wounds. Sekhmet had only come in last a few hours before, and once the pain faded, Nohano was able to get some sleep, something he'd gotten precious little of.

Dreams of home drifted hazily through Nohano's mind, and he was glad of them. There were few dreams he had here that were not nightmares, clear and sharp and horrifying. He didn't remember most of them, for which he was grateful. He only remembered the terror.

Consciousness crashed back onto him at a sudden, sharp pain in his side, and the shadow of someone standing over him. A sort of survival instinct woke him fully, and he opened his eyes, flinching at Kale glaring down at him, and by the deep ache in his side, Nohano realized the asshole had just kicked him. Kale was in full armor, which meant his boots were made of metal...though his helmet was off. Nohano hastily sat up, not willing to be lying down at Kale's feet.

Kale crouched suddenly, grabbing Nohano's torn, bloodstained shirt. It had once been yellow, but was dark with blood and dirt. Nohano grabbed at Kale's arm out of reflex, and Kale slammed him back against the pillar he was tethered to. "I will find them," he growled. Nohano was startled at the rage in his expression, in his eyes. But he was also startled to see dark circles under Kale's eyes, and how haggard he looked.

'He's really catching hell from Talpa for this,' Nohano thought in certain wonder, and no small satisfaction. "I doubt that, Kale," he said aloud, his voice cracking from thirst and from screaming too much. "You'd need brains for that!"

With a snarl, Kale brought his fist up to strike Nohano in the face, but he brought his arm up, ducking the punch and blocking Kale's arm. It sent a jolt of pain through his arm when it struck the metal of Kale's gauntlet, but it was preferable to being hit in the face!

"Stop it, damn you!"

It was so fast that Nohano barely saw the movement; a flash of movement from Kale, a dull, blue flash of metal, and a bright sear of pain across his face. Nohano screamed in shock, recoiling, sprawling sideways against the pillar. His elbow hit the ground hard, and he just reacted; he didn't think, he didn't plan it. He lashed out with one bare foot at Kale's face, his heel connecting with a dull thunk. Kale recoiled then, though his outcry was a snarl of rage, and he backed up out of Nohano's reach.

Shaking, Nohano put his hand alongside his face, only registering that Kale had slashed him with the claw blades on his left hand when he felt hot blood seeping from three deep lines. He clenched his teeth, looking up at Kale, taking grim satisfaction in the blood that flowed from the warlord's nose. 'Got you, you bastard,' he thought.

Kale said nothing, only turned and left the room. Sick fear began to creep through the satisfaction, overwhelming it, as Nohano sat up again and tried to investigate the damage. He had all but forgotten that Kale had kicked him in the side until then as well, grimacing at the ache in his side. As for the blade-slashes, they were deep, but he didn't think they were serious, even though that side of his face was now covered in blood. He hoped not, anyway. He was more afraid of what Kale would to do him in retaliation.

"It's your own damned fault," Nohano hissed, staring at the frost-covered door that led from the chamber. "You underestimated me...as usual."

An hour later, Nohano was no longer feeling the silvery fear in his mind; perhaps Kale was not coming back that day. His side had stopped aching, and his face had stopped bleeding, so the fear had faded out.

It came back fast, however, when the door suddenly opened, banging against the cave walls it was set into. Nohano had so been expecting to see Kale that the sight of Tai Shuang in his bear-like armor made him blink for a moment in confusion. Kale did come in after him, but seemed to ignore Nohano, choosing instead to speak to Shuang. "This brat kicked me," he said grimly. "Ensure that he doesn't do it again."

Alarm made Nohano's chest feel like it had been given a jolt of electricity as Shuang grinned widely, and Kale turned his face to Nohano, his expression stony. The blood was gone, and his face looked as unmarked as ever, but Nohano didn't pay it too much mind; his attention was on Shuang, who approached like a hulking beast. "Get away!" Nohano hissed.

Shuang only chuckled in amusement, crouching down next to Nohano, who drew as far back from him as he could. "You'll kick me too, will you?"

It was Nohano's first reaction, but Shuang's helmet was on, and there was no place Nohano could kick him, and do any good. Still, he clenched his fists, ready to fight if he had to.

Kale's black lightning attack took him by surprise—the bastard hadn't uttered a word!—and the pain knocked Nohano onto his back, blotting out even Shuang's imposing presence for a few seconds. When the darkness lifted, and Nohano could think clearly, Shuang had grabbed a hold of his ankle with both hands. Nohano's eyes widened as Shuang's grin widened, and he gave a sudden wrench of his powerful hands.

Awful, tearing pain shot up from Nohano's ankle, and he yelled, a choked sound of surprise and fear. He lunged forward, grabbing frantically at the man's hands, grunting as Shuang's big hand smacked him in the face, flattening him again onto his back.

Shuang's grip on his leg relaxed, only to move upwards on his leg, and Nohano knew what he was going to do a second before he did it. A quick jerk up, and Shuang smashed Nohano's shin bone against the stone pillar, snapping it, first at the shin, and then at the knee. Nohano screamed, bleak faintness twisting his stomach, as Shuang let his leg drop back onto the ground.

"Do I 'fix' the other one?" asked Shuang.

Terror made Nohano answer before Kale did, his tone high and scared: "No! No—please—!"

His plea amused Shuang, but Nohano didn't care. Shuang did not answer him, only looked up at Kale for an answer, and Nohano couldn't help but look also, to see the answer. Kale said nothing aloud, only looked stonily back at him, but a slight smile touched his lips, and Shuang's wider smile made Nohano's blood cold.

Three quick blows of Shuang's fist smashed Nohano's other leg into the ground, crushing the bones of his ankle, cracking the slim bones in his leg, shattering his knee—Nohano lost consciousness before Shuang had stood up.

When he woke next, alone, his whole body felt numb with cold, except for his legs. They throbbed with deep, horrible pain, and Nohano choked on a sob as awareness came to him, squeezing his eyes shut and unable to stop from sobbing helplessly. He cried until he was too exhausted to do it anymore, and lay shivering on the floor, and wondered if he would be better off if they just killed him.

Nohano opened his eyes several minutes later, daring to look at his legs, and a low moan escaped him. Thin, wild, uncontrollable panic sent its barbs into his mind as he saw how they twisted, bent at unnatural angles. Blood soaked one leg of his jeans, and somewhere in his overwhelmed mind he knew it meant it was an open break. He closed his eyes quickly, breathing fast, realizing also that he was now completely helpless against whatever else they might do to him.

No one else came in to bother him for several hours, perhaps as much as a whole day. Cade Taylor, the youngest of the warlords, came in once and greeted him cheerfully, a large, clear glass of water in his hands. Nohano hadn't had anything to drink for several days, and he eyed it greedily. Cade smirked and set the glass out of his reach, and left.

"You bastard," whispered Nohano, wretched disbelief making him stare at it for at least ten minutes. It was more water than he'd been given the whole time... Slowly, Nohano looked between himself and the water, realizing that he could reach it, but it meant moving his injured legs. He started to cry silently, laying his head down and closing his eyes. He couldn't summon enough energy or hope to try it. Not then.

When several more hours had passed with no one coming into the cavern, Nohano's thirst was desperate enough that he looked at the water once more. Clenching his teeth, he set his hands on the floor, his eyes on the glass, and with one quick movement drove himself forward.

The pain was immediate and agonizing. He had not moved since Shuang had broken them, and the pain had died down to a bearable ache, but it flared like a flash of lightning, and he collapsed, faintness making him dizzy and black spots blurring his eyes. He lay still for a very long time, his arms on the ground, his head down on top of them, fighting to stay conscious. He didn't know how long he stayed that way, but the faintness had passed, and the pain was bearable before he looked up.

He closed his eyes in relief to see the glass two feet away, and reached out with shaking hands to grasp it. It was ice-cold, but he didn't care. He heaved himself up to one elbow and drank all of it without stopping, not able to stop. His stomach lurched and he felt dizzy, but that was okay; his throat was soothed and the awful thirst was driven back. Exhausted, Nohano lay his head back down and closed his eyes.

---

The chamber was bright and toxic, and the constant presence of the Nether Spirits was exhausting in itself, even before they began to drain energy. And Ryo was very sick of being in two-foot-deep water, especially as it made it very difficult to lie down and try to sleep. Still, he wasn't about to complain too strenuously; it could be a lot worse; being drained was exhausting and painful, but it was nothing compared to the torment they'd endured beforehand. Sage commented that the armor seemed to intensify the pain, that when he, Cye, and Kento had been captured and drained, it had been worse. Ryo took his word for it.

Ryo, Sage, Rowen, and Yasuo Toshitada had been taking turns lying down and resting, with one of them making sure the others didn't slip into the water. At first Ryo was thrilled to be off that hateful wall, and to be left alone by the warlords. But after the relief began to wear off, tedium began to replace it. Ryo had to remind himself frequently that he could still be chained standing up and beaten every few hours. That usually did the trick.

It was Nohano he was worried about now. His friends had already been brought into the chamber, and Ryo could see they'd been through almost as much as he had; Sage healed most of the major injuries, though it had exhausted him, and Rashida discovered to her surprise that she was also still able to heal, even though her armor had been separated from her. But Nohano had not been brought back in, and Ryo could not reach him mentally. The awful, creeping fear that they'd killed him kept trying to push into Ryo's mind. 'If they killed him,' Ryo vowed silently, 'I will return the favor.'

It wasn't until a day after the others were brought in that he saw Nohano. His worry for the other boy spiked considerably when they dragged him in, slung between two of the lesser-ranking warlords. Ryo did not know either of their names, and he didn't care. All he cared about at the moment was that Nohano looked badly hurt, his face rigid with pain.

Ryo and Killian both stood as the two warlords stood at the end of the cavern and tossed Nohano into the water within the energy barrier the Nether Spirits created in the chamber. One of the warlords, the tall African woman, grinned and gave a cheeky salute to the ragged group before she left.

Nohano gave a scream as he landed in the water, though of fear or pain, Ryo couldn't tell. Killian ran over to him, kneeling down and lifting his friend's upper body out of the water and holding him to him. Nohano was sobbing weakly, and his face was dead pale, and Ryo wondered what had been done to him. The other "new" Ronin, as Ryo thought of them, cautiously joined their friends, and Ryo could hear a faint sob come from Nohano. Pain. It was pain, mostly, that he could feel from his friend, with a healthy does of fear. 'The water,' he realized. That's where the fear had come from.

Killian sounded just as worried. "Crikey, Nohano, you're ice-cold."

Sage moved to see how badly Nohano had been hurt, and Rowen and Ryo followed him, so that the whole group was about five yards from where they'd started. Ryo glanced anxiously up, but the Nether Spirits were keeping their distance for the moment. As he neared, the mental contact he and Nohano had been able to make came slowly back, and Ryo stopped short, a little unnerved by the incredible riot of fear that swirled his friend's mind. 'I know that feeling well,' he thought morosely. 'We've felt it so many times it's not even funny.' He and his friends had gone through days and days of it here, this time...

Ryo even caught mental glimpses of what Nohano had gone through, but it was when Rashida moved aside and gave Sage a worried look that Ryo saw what keeping Nohano in pain; his legs had been broken in several places.

A slow burn of anger simmered in Ryo's mind as he clenched his fists and stood at the outside of the group alongside Yasuo, who hadn't the energy to go far. He was as tough as nails, but he'd been through almost as much abuse as Ryo and the others had, and he was a lot older than any of them.

"I don't know if I can heal this without armor," said Rashida. Killian was still holding Nohano and sort of rocking him back and forth, and through Nohano's mind, Ryo caught strange echoes of the calm and comfort that the Torrent bearer was giving Nohano. Killian was so like Cye in some ways...his compassion, his unconditional love for his friends. But his feeling was completely different. While Cye's waters were calm, soothing, and cool; Killian's were warm and friendly, like the warm shallows on a tropical beach. He was no less effective than Cye had been, though. Even Ryo's anger was beginning to calm (just a little) while feeling those echoes.

Sage knelt worriedly next to Nohano, and Ryo looked on him fondly; someone in pain could always, no exceptions, bring out Sage's true spirit, and the warmth that was deep within it. Ryo and his friends saw it far more often than anyone else, but he never tired of seeing it.

"This is gonna hurt, I'm afraid," said Sage.

"I'll help with that," said Killian at once.

The healing wasn't pretty, especially when Sage had to push the open break back through. Even with Killian's help, Nohano still screamed, and Rashida bit her lip hard as she and Sage worked on the injury. Demetrius grimaced, and Suisei clenched his teeth and looked away. Ryo didn't blame him. The sight was enough to turn most anyone's stomach at least a little. Especially people who'd been through similar.

But Sage was quick, made yet quicker by Rashida's help, and Nohano's breathing was beginning to even out. The soul-deep gratitude in his voice when he thanked Sage and grasped his hand, the deep thanks he caught through the mind link to Rashida, warmed his heart. Rashida hugged him, and Sage blinked, a little taken aback as he always was when a stranger showed him any kind of affection. The blond boy smiled, covering Nohano's hands with his own briefly before telling him he was welcome.

"How long's it been like that, mate?" asked Killian. "Not this whole time, has it?"

Nohano shook his head, sitting up and grimacing down at the water with extreme distaste, shivering a little and getting cautiously up to his knees. "Several hours I guess. Maybe a day, maybe a little more. Can't tell time in this craphole."

"Who did it?" Ryo asked, his voice considerably calm. He was still furious at whoever had dealt Nohano the injury.

"Shuang," spat Nohano, still shivering. "On Kale's orders. Prick."

"Which one?" asked Demetrius, smiling a little and grasping Nohano's shoulder.

Rowen snorted and answered for Nohano. "Pick one."

"Yeah, Kale didn't like that I kicked him in the face when he didn't have his helmet on. It was his stupid fault for getting that close to me." Nohano looked around, flinching a little at the sight of Nether Spirits hovering right above them. "That doesn't look friendly."

"You have a knack for understatement," said Sage, standing up and also giving the spirits a wary look. But they stayed where they were for the time being. "Let's get back towards the middle—I don't exactly like being so close to the evil things."

No one argued. As everyone stood up, Killian stayed to make sure Nohano would be all right standing. Ryo saw he'd been slashed across the face, and beaten up pretty well like the others had been, but his legs seemed okay. Ryo walked over and put a hand on his shoulder, startled at how chilly the other boy's skin was. No wonder he was still shaking. Ryo put an arm around him, helping to warm him, as they walked the few yards into the middle of the chamber.

"Thanks," Nohano murmured, his arms wrapped around his chest. "Kale made sure to keep the whole damned chamber cold, just for me."

"Bastard," Ryo hissed. "Come on, let's sit down; the water's vile, but at least it's warm."

Nohano bit his lip briefly, but he nodded and carefully sat. Killian explained that Nohano had been learning how to swim, and was slowly conquering his phobia. Nohano blushed when Ryo said he was proud of him.

"Thanks, Ryo," he said. "Now what happens?"

"Afraid we're stuck here," said Rowen grimly.

"For now," Yasuo added quietly.

"Yeah," said Sage. "Unless Cye and Kento, or your other friends can get us out...which I don't see happening too soon." Ryo knew Sage hadn't meant to be insulting, but he knew full well the amazing odds against the others. He knew how horribly they were outnumbered, and that Cye and Kento didn't even have weapon. Even if they managed to find each other, the odds still weren't good.

"They will," said Suisei confidently. He'd been pretty quiet, and Ryo thought he was probably as worried about his adopted son as he was afraid that they would never escape Talpa's palace. "They'll find us. They won't give up—I know that's true of Tarun and the others, and of your friends as well." He looked to Rowen and smiled, and Rowen managed to grin back. "Am I right?"

Rowen actually laughed. "Yeah you're right. 'Specially Kento, who's as stubborn as a whole herd of mules."

"I'll be certain to tell him how you chose to sing his praises, Rowen," said Ryo, also managing a smile. He just hoped that Suisei was right. Else their future did not look too bright.


	25. Ambushed

CHAPTER 25: Ambushed

"So just who is the master planner in your group anyway?" asked Kento as the five travelers made their way across deserted streets and wrecked city blocks. Tarun was climbing crags of rock and the surviving trees, listening with one ear to the older youths talking. "And does that kid ever run out of energy?"

"No," said Xander with a weary laugh. "Even when he's sleeping he moves around all night and talks in his sleep."

Interested, Tarun jumped down from the lower branch of a strange pink tree and rejoined the group. "I do?" he asked.

"Yeah—it usually sounds like you're threatening someone."

While Tarun giggled and tried to remember what he would have dreamed where he might threaten someone, Amaya said that their best planner was Rashida. "She is the best..." She paused for several moments, thinking of the right word. As Xan and Tarun did not speak Japanese, they were all using English. "Strategist. She is wise and clever. It is why she wears the Halo armor."

"Nohano's pretty good with it too," said Xan, "when he's not rushing in with his katanas—katana--!" he corrected before Amaya could, "—swinging, anyway. Amaya's not bad, either."

"What we could really use is Kikoutei," said Cye, frowning. "I think Kento and I should be able to lend our power to it, and it's so much more powerful; I think that it could destroy a lot of these soldiers. Though I guess it'd also tell them right where we are, too."

"Yeah, let's not do that," said Kento, scowling thunderously. "If we're gonna stay in one piece long enough to take Talpa down, we're gonna have to be careful."

"Hey, so who's boss right now?" Tarun asked, looking at the group. Neither of the group's leaders were there, so it was a question he wanted to know the answer to. "Can I be it?"

The others had looked thoughtful at the first query, but at the second, they were surprised into a laugh, and Amaya looked at the others. Finally she shrugged. "All right," she said when no one protested. "And what would your first act be as leader?"

Tarun stopped walking and blinked, as Xander sighed, rolling his eyes upwards. "Oh Lord, this ought to be interesting."

It was a good question! "I dunno!" he said, beginning to walk again, now in deep thought. "What do leaders do, anyway?"

"Well," said Amaya, no longer smiling. She wasn't angry or unhappy, but she had her "teacher" face on, which was how she usually looked when she was teaching weapons and fighting. "What would Nohano be doing right now, if he was here?"

"Walking and prob'ly insulting Talpa because he took all the good sun," said Tarun immediately, and everyone laughed again, though there was a dark, grim undertone to it, because it was true. Tarun frowned. "And he'd be right, too! This isn't a real sun, and ours is all covered up." He looked upwards to the cloudy sky, scowling first at the clouds, and then to the creepy reddish disk that was the Nether World's sun.

"That's definitely what Nohano would be doing," said Xander. "Though I don't mind the dark much. The midget here runs off sunshine, though."

"I do not," said Tarun, scowling, "and I am not a midget! I run off daytime. It's just better if there's sun. But there doesn't have to be."

"You had a good question though," said Kento. "What do we do?"

Amaya looked to Tarun, and seemed to be waiting for him to answer the question. The problem was, he didn't know the answer! "I wouldn't be a good leader," the boy said finally, feeling suddenly a little foolish. He didn't know what they should do, didn't know how to plan a battle, and had no clue how to lead a group. "I dunno anything!"

Amaya finally chuckled softly and gave Tarun a brief, one-armed hug. "You know plenty, aiji," Tarun didn't know the word's meaning, though he did know it was a pet name she used for him on occasion. "You have never been a leader, one must not expect that you would know about being a leader. But you can learn!"

"Yeah, that's right, kid," said Kento, ruffling Tarun's hair so that it stuck up in all directions. "You can't know something you never did before."

Tarun smiled at the two of them, feeling a lot better at their words, and shrugged a little. "I guess," he said.

"And a leader does not have to know all the answers," said Amaya. "When he does not know an answer, he asks one of his group who does know the answer."

"What if no one does?" asked Tarun.

Xander answered for her. "Then we're screwed."

A snort of laughter was surprised out of Kento, and Tarun clapped a hand over his mouth to stifle a shout of giggling. Cye was giving Xander a rather wry look. "You're not afraid of saying what you think, are you, Xander?" he asked.

"Damn straight," said Xan. "Call me Xan, though, willya? That's what I go by."

"Ya know," Kento said, "We never did answer the question about what we're gonna do. The palace is a week away, if we don't get waylaid, anyways, but we should have a plan as soon as possible."

What did a person do when planning a battle, anyway? Nohano usually got information about the enemy, first, so they knew what they'd have to fight. But they already knew all about the enemy! What came next?

"In the Nether Realm,' said Amaya, "the palace was surrounded by tall mountains. It is so now, also?"

Kento nodded, his lip curling in disgust. "Yeah," he said. "And he's got it all filled with these stupid, pink trees and water everywhere. Cye took all sorts of offense at all the water Talpa's spoiling with his evil energy."

Cye muttered darkly in agreement.

"And there's all these damned soldiers, too," said Xander. "Are there any guarding the palace itself?"

"There weren't many," said Cye. "I suppose they'd mostly been sent out. But there might be now, if Talpa's getting paranoid about us. He can't know we've teamed up, but he still knows there are five Ronin loose in the area. He won't like that at all, especially not after last time, when you guys fought him so well. He'll be wary."

"Okay," Xander said, holding up a hand and tapping each finger against his other hand, making a small "clink" sound each time he did it. "So. Mountains to get past—"

"They won't be a problem unless Talpa has closed the passage," said Amaya. "There is a small maze-tunnel to go through to get in.

"Hmm. Okay. So maze-tunnel—maybe no big deal. Maybe guards. Definitely warlords, if we don't see them even before we get there. I bet they're looking for our asses, too."

"Just our asses?" asked Kento, grinning impishly.

Xander groaned. "I'm not even going there!" he said, and everyone laughed wearily. "Okay. Three of us are armed and armored—we gotta find you guys some kind of weapon. You're Torrent and Hardrock?"

Cye nodded, his brow furrowed in thought. "Yes, and I've seen weapons similar to those we use among the Dynasty soldiers; if we could find a small group of them and defeat them, we'd at least have some weapons. We didn't go armed in the Spirit Realm, but we didn't need to. Here, I feel completely helpless without one. I was so used to always being armed, before..."

"You said it," said Kento. "I'd love to have my naganata about now."

"You'd have to fight Demetrius for it," Xan joked grimly.

"Hey, if he was here, I'd gladly let him wield the thing, just so he got me something else to use!"

Xander nodded. "Right. So...we need to get two weapons, and be ready to fight our way in. I get the idea that the closer we get, the more Talpa will know about what we're doing."

"He usually knows as soon as we step into the Nether Realm," said Cye. "But as the worlds have merged, and are half mortal and half Nether Realm, he will not have nearly so much power. The more he makes the realm his own, the more his power will increase. The sooner we get there the better."

"Sure wish we had a car," said Tarun. "Because walking's boring. Doesn't anything work in this stupid place?"

"Only if Talpa wants it to," said Kento. "Unfortunately. I figure that's how that damned kid with the laser pistol is able to use it; Talpa's done something to it so that it works."

Silence fell among the group as they walked, and Tarun thought the others might be thinking of battle plans. He walked next to Kento, also trying to think of battle plans, but the way he saw it, the only thing they could really do was to fight their way in. Either that, or try to sneak in, and that wasn't going to be easy.

They stopped around noon for some lunch, and Tarun ate his de-hy meal in silence. They'd all grabbed the dehydrated stuff at the supermarket now that they had a way of cleaning dirty water, and the de-hy meals were smaller and easier to travel with than most of the canned and boxed stuff. They tasted better, too!

"I gotta go pee," said Tarun, standing and bouncing on his heels a little. He'd made sure to put a few little packets of de-hy ice cream into his pack, figuring that it was okay to take up a little space, and he'd eaten one after lunch. "I'm gonna go over at the park, okay?" He nodded over at a nearby playground that had a few trees he could use for bathroom cover.

"Just be careful," said Xander. "Yell if you need help."

Tarun nodded; it was pretty normal. Whenever anyone stepped away to take a pee, someone always told that person to be careful. He jogged over to the park and peered into the trees, startling a cat, who hissed at him and sprinted away. Tarun was startled, too, and almost cried out, his heart suddenly racing. Then he laughed a little nervously and ducked into the little copse of trees, banishing his sub-armor and tucking his armor orb into his pocket.

Once he'd finished his business, Tarun ducked back out of the trees, frowning at a sudden anxiety in his chest. Something like a shadow had fallen over the area, even though the light outside had not changed. He glanced nervously over to his friends several yards away, packing up the lunch supplies and closing the backpacks. Just as Tarun took a step towards them, a flash of bright light made him yell in startlement, and he caught just a glimpse of the others lurching to their feet, and gaped at Kale's imposing figure. For just a moment, the two of them locked gazes, Tarun's shocked one, Kale's narrowed-eyed one. A look of sudden, furious triumph flashed across Kale's face, and Tarun bolted, ducking for the cover of the trees, jamming his hands into his pocket for his sphere. Caught without his armor!

There were several more flashes, several cries of alarm and anger from the others, and Tarun could hear Kale right behind him. He grasped his armor sphere tightly, barely pausing as the riot gear coalesced around him, and yelped as a shadow flew at his head. Heart racing, Tarun dropped to the ground, ducking away as Kale's nodachi thunked into a tree right above him, and he sprinted back the opposite way, realizing with sudden panic that he'd done a very stupid thing, running into the shadows to escape a warlord of darkness.

"Armor of--!" Tarun began to cry out, but a sudden, violent strike at his back sent him sprawling, his summons interrupted, and he was dodging Kale's weapon again, working on the most primal of instincts. He could barely think, keeping out of Kale's way, and while Tarun was quick, he wasn't nearly fast enough in only his riot gear! Quick, mental flashes from the others told Tarun that they had their own hands full, and Tarun began to panic again; he was stuck fighting Kale on his own!

"Coward!" Tarun yelled angrily, ducking behind a tree as Kale's wicked claw-hand flashed towards his face. He ducked away, spinning around to face Kale, who was glaring at him. He was utterly terrifying, standing in full armor, his spiked helmet over his head and his blood-red mask obscuring his features. He didn't even look human at the moment, only another demon-soldier, his nodachi in one hand. The sword was taller than Tarun was!

"You call me coward, boy?" Kale growled.

"Yeah!" Tarun said, clenching his fists. "You attacked someone that wasn't armed! And lots littler than you!"

Kale laughed, the sound derisive and insulting. "Such an honor is only bestowed on an equal, boy," he said, making Tarun's face flush with hot anger. "One warrior to another. You, however, are a disobedient brat that must be brought to my master!"

The grave insult lent Tarun enough bravado to declare, "No WAY!", to stick out his tongue, and sprint away again. Kale growled and went after him, but this time Tarun was able to call out his armor, crying its summons into the gloomy air. A great rush of bright speed and sudden glee exploded through him as his armor materialized, and he laughed, ducking Kale's next attack with far more ease than he had the last. He ran, his feet thudding on the ground like a jackhammer, leaving Kale far behind him in seconds. He could feel the warlord's frustration even as he ran.

Behind a power pole, Tarun took a few seconds to recover from the shock of being ambushed. He concentrated on the mind link, but it seemed that the others were doing okay for the time being; even Cye and Kento fought, Kento with his fists and Cye with a slim, steel beam he'd found somewhere. His eyes swept the area and he saw that Kale had joined the fight, possibly realizing he had no chance of catching Tarun. Dais and Kento were fighting, though Kento was mostly dodging Dais's many weapons. Xan's shields flashed constantly; he had no chance to fight, using all of his energy and concentration on shielding the others.

Of course Tarun couldn't stay here; his friends were badly outnumbered, and they all needed to get the heck out of there and get away from the warlords. Even Tarun knew that it was bad they'd been spotted; it was going to be doubly hard to get away from the warlords now that they knew what area they were in.

Tarun sprinted towards the fight once more, dodging a stray crossbow bolt from a younger warlord, and grasping his sling as he ran. He gave a yell, hurling one of his more powerful rounds at Dais's head, catching him off guard and letting Kento get in a good flying kick to the warlord's head. Tarun cheered as Kento lunged forward and grabbed the scythe fan from Dais's back, ducking away as Dais grabbed for him, and swinging the strange weapon around at the furious Dais.

Spinning around, he eyed Kale, whose back was to him. Corruption was advancing on Amaya, who was already fending off one of the lesser warlords, the one who talked with an English accent. An evil grin appearing on his face, and with an almost insatiable urge to really piss Kale off, Tarun sprinted for the three of them, leaping up into the air and landing on Kale's back. Kale yelled in surprised anger and spun, Tarun clutching the scabbard he wore across his back. The boy grabbed Kale's helmet and yanked it off of his head, dropping to the ground as Kale let a roar of fury, spinning around and swinging his nodachi at Tarun's head. Giggling gleefully, Tarun sprinted away, still holding Kale's helmet, and Kale broke from the fight to chase after him.

He didn't go far, not wanting to leave the others alone. Making sure Kale saw him, Tarun hurled the helmet down a half-open manhole, then winced in alarm as Kale brought his sword above his head. Tarun yelled, and with a burst of speed, dodged the lightning attack Kale hurled at him. All that practice with Rashida had paid off!

Giving Kale a wide berth as the warlord came after him, Tarun ran back to the fight, looking for the nearest warlord, the younger one called Cade who had the crossbow. Not slowing down, Tarun tackled him, his great momentum sending them both flying several yards away from the fight and sending the warlord's crossbow skittering across the pavement.

Cade growled in surprise as Tarun rolled energetically off of him, and they both got to their feet, Cade glaring, Tarun smug. "Ronin of Hope, huh?" sneered Cade, and Tarun was surprised to hear he was American! "And I am the Warlord of Despair."

"Oh, yeah?" said Tarun, frowning. He didn't like the sound of that; it was the very opposite of what he was, though he wasn't quite sure what else to say to the warlord's declaration.

"Yes—I'm surprised you still have the nerve to fight us, kid. Even if you get away from us now, you'll never rest. We know where you are, you'll never get away from us." Tarun blinked, cocking his head slightly and backing up. Hadn't he just been thinking that very thing? When this grim, young warlord said it aloud, it seemed to be a lot more dire.

'He's just trying to scare me,' Tarun thought, biting his lip. 'And it's working!'

Tarun was right; Cade was using his great skill in crushing morale, and darkening hopes. But he had been doing something else as well, and Tarun very nearly didn't realize it until too late. While his attention was focused on Cade, someone had crept up behind him. It was only the faint shadow on the ground that made him spin around, his eye meeting a pair of green ones—a gaze that made him feel suddenly cold. It was Jin Tanaka, the only one of the warlords that Tarun was utterly terrified of. He had time to take a horrified step backwards before the female warlord flung out her hands—

Tarun shrieked, a sudden, blinding, ripping pain exploding across his face, the one part of him his armor didn't cover, and he sprinted blindly away from her, his base instinct changing in an instinct from fight to flight.

A sudden, shocking thus against the right side of his body sent him careening painfully to the left, stumbling and sprawling on the ground. Shaking, he squinted his eyes open, seeing he'd run into the corner of a half-destroyed brick building at full speed, and that he'd crumbled most of the corner off with his speed and his metal armor. But the impact had hurt, and he stood shaken, his mind a whirl of shock and fear.

He hadn't faced Jin Tanaka since he'd been captured by the Dynasty. He hadn't realized how deep his terror of her ran until that moment, when he'd suddenly come face to face with her, when she'd been so close he could have touched her. Tarun put his hands to his face, so certain that it would be covered in blood that for a moment he saw blood when he pulled his hands away. As he calmed a little, he realized that there was no blood, and he couldn't understand it, especially as the pain was still there, as if hundreds of red-hot splinters of metal had been shot at his skin. It had even gone through his armor a little bit. He didn't know what she'd done, but he never wanted to feel it again.

He looked back towards the battle, far enough away that had could barely tell what was going on, and he felt cold again with fear. He was scared to go back, he was scared his friends were going to die, or, perhaps worse, be captured. It wasn't easy to be hopeful just then, not when he was scared out of his mind. "I gotta be brave," he whispered. The memories of his imprisonment were strong, and made it hard to be very brave, but the thought of his friends dying was even stronger. Swallowing hard and clenching his fists, Tarun ran back towards the fight. He caught sight of Jin Tanaka, saw her fling her arms out again at Kento, and thought Tarun didn't see anything at all, Kento reeled back with a scream of pain as Tarun had. Jin Tanaka lunged at Kento, tackling him to the ground, and Xan ducked away from his fight to help him. 'We're losing,' Tarun thought frantically as he ran. 'We're losing!'


	26. Battle Scars

CHAPTER 26: Battle Scars

Tarun skidded to a stop before getting anywhere near the battle scene, nearly falling on his face he halted so abruptly. Tarun wouldn't be of any good right in the middle of the fight, no matter how strong his instinct was to get right in and help...and Jin Tanaka was there. Tarun began feeling cold when he thought of getting that close, close enough that she could grab him...

He saw something else, too: only seven of the warlords were fighting in close. The boy's narrowed eyes darted about until he spotted the other three, all of them standing at a distance from the fight and from one another, and taking potshots at Tarun's friends! He scowled in shocked indignation, first at Moral Sullivan and his laser pistol, shooting at them from behind one of those green electrical box thingies that Tarun liked to climb on; then to Cade Taylor (that jerk!) who was closer to Tarun, shooting his crossbow.

It took Tarun a moment to find the last one; Heath was standing very close to the fight, with something that looked like a giant peashooter in his hands. A flash of memory came to him, of Demetrius describing how Heath used Sekhmet's poisons in his blow gun, and of course he was aiming more at Cye and Kento, who had far more skin showing than anyone else. Even as he watched, Kento got hit by something made him shriek in pain, the sound making Tarun's skin go cold. It was a pain-maddened sound, and Kento staggered away from the fight. Scowling angrily, Tarun loaded a round into his sling and spun it furiously, letting the energy ball fly with more force than usual. It struck Heath in the head and he dropped; Tarun clenched his fist savagely, then sort of ducked down in case someone noticed him. None had just yet; Heath had been close enough to the action that another bright light hadn't been noticed.

His success gave Tarun a small burst of confidence, and he turned to the next of the distance-weapon wielders, Despair. Tarun thought he'd better try him next, being closer to him, and he loaded another round into his sling, aiming carefully. He let the round fly, and Cade was struck point-blank as well; when Tarun could take his time to aim, he was a very good shot!

But he'd made a mistake in not targeting Moral first, and knew it almost immediately. Moral spun around at the flash of energy and the cry Cade made when he was struck, and Tarun froze for just a second as Moral snapped his laser pistol around to aim at him. Then he was throwing himself at the ground as Moral fired. The shot seared over his head, but a sudden, searing pain in Tarun's shoulder made him scream in shocked pain as he scrambled to get up, feeling two more searing pains hit him before he could even take a step.

Suddenly on the defensive, Tarun took a dozen sprint-steps as Moral ran at him, a fourth shot from the laser grazing the top of his helmet and nearly knocking it off. Tarun bolted for the cover of a half-ruined building, choking on a sob; it wasn't necessarily the fear or the pain, it was the shock. It had happened within seconds, he'd been struck four times with the laser, which had left great, smoking, burned lines in Tarun's armor, and he nearly panicked on seeing it. He squeezed his eyes shut for just a few moments, then opened them again, trying very hard to ignore the damage and load his sling; his left arm hurt, so it was awkward work; he thanked whatever gods there were it wasn't his sling arm!

A sudden cry in his head made him yell, startled; it was Amaya: Retreat! she cried. Split up, retreat!

Tarun didn't like the sound of it; his first thought was, 'How will they get away from the fight?' He didn't get too much farther with that question, because Moral sprinted around the cover of the building Tarun had taken cover behind, and Tarun only turned around in time to see the laser pistol's barrel aimed at him. Tarun sprinted once more, the sound of rapid-fire loser bolts hitting the ground only a foot behind him. He changed directions twice, evading the smoking laser-bolts, spinning his sling and letting the round fly at Moral's head—but the miserable creep ducked!

The round exploded behind the warlord, and Tarun stopped, his hands shaking as he frantically grabbed another round and simply threw it at the older boy, who wasn't expecting an attack so close on the heels of Tarun's last one. The round hit him, and though it had only a fraction of its normal power, it made Moral scream in surprise and stagger backwards. Tarun didn't try to sprint out of the way again; if he was going to be able to fight this creep, he had to stand and do it; the laser pistol had a far greater ranger than his sling! 'Why didn't I get him first? Cade can't shoot me so quick!'

Tarun spun the sling as Moral was shaking off his minor injury, and let loose with the explosive round. Tarun's quick attack had bought him enough time to be able to load and aim, and his shot hit Moral just as Moral shot his laser gun. Tarun couldn't possibly duck out of the way in time, only able to jerk his head back and begin to dive for cover; his shot hit Moral point blank, and he dropped, but Tarun barely noticed. A horrible, searing pain cut him from the front of his cheek to the back of his head, and he sprawled on his back with a shriek, dropping his sling and squeezing his eyes shut. For just a minute his vision went blank, and only a basic survival instinct pummeled him back into awareness so quickly. But Moral was out cold.

Shaking, feeling numb in the aftermath, Tarun stood and stumbled over, grabbing Moral's laser pistol and looking at it, shaking. He pointed the end away from him, shooting an experimental shot into a telephone pole. He stared in fascination as a deep lone scored the wood, and nearly cracked the thick pole in half. He squeezed the trigger twice, rapidly, grinning suddenly in half-terrified, grim delight; he would use this weapon while he still had it against the warlords themselves! It was a lot faster than his sling, even if it was tainted and crude.

Sudden awareness of his friends' mental cries shook Tarun out of his distraction, and Tarun clenched his teeth and his fists angrily. He did not lose his temper often or easily, but this had done it; he couldn't remember ever feeling so angry. He thought feverishly of whether any of the other warlords had distance weapons, believing that none did, unless he counted Kale's lightning slash. Tarun should be able to cover the others' escapes! He ran fast enough to be able to get away.

Tucking his sling back into its case, Tarun ran back out, his eyes widening at what he saw. The group had obviously been fighting back to back, but their defensive group was looking ragged. Kento had been badly hurt by something; blood covered his arm and splashed his side. Amaya was fending Kale off, though her blocks were getting clumsy with fatigue. Cye was once again unarmed, and he was grappling with Tai Shuang, and Xan's shields were so brief they barely flickered on long enough to deflect the enemy's weapons. Xan had blood on his head. It was clear the Ronin were trying to flee the fight, but it was proving very difficult. Tarun scowled and aimed the laser pistol; Tarun's head was buzzing, and he didn't know what was making it do that, but he liked it; it blanked out the pain and his fear, and felt like a really strong caffeine surge.

He had never shot a gun before, though he was fairly good with the laser-light pistol that came with the Nintendo Centurion, that Xander used for some of his cops and robbers games. This laser pistol was almost like that, though Tarun was still going to be very, very careful not to hit his friends. He aimed at Dais, who had nearly pinned Xander to the ground.

Kale suddenly looked up, his eyes widening intensely, and he raised his nodachi in the air. Realizing he'd been spotted, Tarun hissed in alarm and spun to face him, changing his target in the split second before he fired. Even as Kale began to cry out his black lightning slash attack, Tarun had fired twice, one shot hitting Kale directly on the chest, the other searing a line into the concrete. Tarun stared, amazed, as Kale staggered back, looking shocked. 'Ha!' Tarun thought fiercely. 'Got you, you big jerk!' He fired again, and Kale ducked for cover.

A couple of the others had noticed him now, and Tarun began firing as quickly as he could; the other Ronin were in a sort of tight group, so Tarun directed all of his fire well away from them. The warlords began ducking for cover, bewildered at first at the rapid-fire attack, maybe even thinking that Moral had somehow turned on them for some reason. Kento was the first to react, taking full advantage of the very brief distraction before the warlords ducked back into the fight. He hooked Dais's helmet, flinging it off, allowing Cye to dart in and punch the warlord in the nose; Dais reeled back in surprised pain as blood spurted from it. Kento swung the scythe fan at Vittorio Digaetano, who had been fighting Amaya, and who blocked it only barely with his spears; and Tarun shot at Vittorio Digaetano, hitting him across his helmet, knocking it askew.

Kale's attack took him by surprise; in all the yelling, while Tarun's eye wasn't on the dark warlord, he'd been able to yell his battle cry; Tarun screamed as icy energy engulfed him, knocking him to the ground. It stopped abruptly, leaving Tarun on the ground panting, too shocked to be able to cry. He looked up in time to see Amaya attack Kale with a furious attack of her katana in retaliation, but Sekhmet was running right at Tarun.

The laser gun was gone, and Tarun's brief, frantic search did not find it, but he caught sight of a nearby storm drain and had the sneaking suspicion the gun was down there somewhere. As Sekhmet charged him, his katana out and ready for attack, Tarun sprinted away, grabbing his sling and yanking it out, loading in a round.

He turned to spin his sling, hurling the round at Sekhmet, who ducked the shot, leaping to the side without even breaking his run. Venom leapt into the air, and Tarun yelled in alarm, his first reaction to recoil and duck down, before running. He didn't get away in time; he sprawled backwards as Sekhmet nearly landed on top of him, slashing down with both katana, and Tarun had no room to dodge. Both hit him, one glancing harmlessly off the left arm spike of his armor, the other slashing him in the side, low down where the armor wasn't as thick. Tarun screamed, kicking up in defense, scoring a hit straight up at Sekhmet's groin. It was covered, of course, but it was distracting enough to make Sekhmet hesitate, and that was enough for Tarun to lurch away from him.

Tarun, run! yelled Xander, and Tarun looked as he ran. The others had broken off from the warlords, and Tarun could barely see their backs as they ran. Tarun followed their lead...and ran.

Tarun didn't know how far he ran, only that no one pursued him...or if they did, they didn't pursue him for long. He was panting for breath before he stopped, crouching down in a long, furrowed ditch beside a main highway, a street that was thick with stalled and burned cars, some of which had even been flipped on their sides or their roofs. He knelt in the ditch, which looked as if it had been torn out by magic power, and peered unhappily at the street. He was shaking almost too badly to stay upright, from both exhaustion and from fear, and the aftermath of the adrenaline that had numbed him. The whole world eemed silent after the din of the fight.

A horrible, burning, deep pain began making itself known from Tarun's side, and he panicked when he looked down to see the white part of his armor was stained bright with blood, and some other color, an off-orange-ish smear on the metal. His breathing quickened in fear as he stared at it, and as the adrenaline wore off more and more, and he felt the pain...

Tarun had been mildly hurt while fighting, and even sparring, and had been cut by Jin Tanaka's knife, an experience that was painful and terrifying; but this, this was somehow even worse, a deep pain that seemed to be spreading, and Tarun didn't know how serious it was. Amaya!

Amaya's response was quick, and she sounded utterly exhausted. Tarun thought he must have sounded absolutely terrified for her to come back so quickly, her tired voice full of fear for him. What's wrong? Tarun, are you okay? Where are you?

No—Ye—I—I don't know! I'm hurt, I got hit by a sword, in the side, it hurts, and it's hurting other places, and—

Whoa...easy, boy, easy, aiji, calm down, small one. Calm...take a moment, okay?

It wasn't like Killian's calm-down thoughts, it wasn't like that at all. Amaya's darkness of night wasn't something that was comforting to Tarun, and Amaya was not good at it at all. It was enough to break Tarun's panic, but it didn't soothe the fear. He began to cry, though he barely noticed it. Sekhmet got me with a katana, he explained a little more coherently, and I'm bleeding, and it hurts, and the hurt is moving!

Sekhmet—hold on a second, aiji, okay? Be still and calm. Tarun nodded, even though she could not of course see it, and sank back to sit on his heels, shaking. He kept a hand on his side, beginning to notice distractedly that his face and head hurt very much also.

Xander came into the mind link also, asking if Tarun was okay, and this time he was able to answer that he wasn't sure, instead of an immediate, "No!". Xander said they'd all gotten away, largely thanks to Tarun's sneak-attack. That was wicked cool, kid, said Xander sincerely. Thanks—if this group did the "owe-ya" thing, I'd owe ya!

Tarun managed to laugh, a shrill, forced sound, but at least it was a laugh. It's okay, he said.

Amaya's voice came back then, sounding sympathetic and worried both. You said it was Sekhmet, right?

Tarun said that it was. That big jerk jumped almost right on me!

Now don't panic, small one, Kento says that it can't kill you— Her words had just the opposite effect as her intention; when she said "it can't kill you", he knew, he just knew it was serious, and he probably was going to die! The panic didn't last long once Amaya finished, but it wasn't a nice feeling, anyway. It's Sekhmet's venom, he coats his katana with it. It's not deadly poison, he does it just to cause pain...it's not gonna feel good much, Tarun, but you'll be okay. Do not try to wash it with water. It doesn't make sense, but water makes the poison worse. Can you tell how badly you're wounded?

Tarun looked down, taking away his hand, and bit his lip hard. It really hurt. H-hold on.

Making sure he was alone and unseen on the deserted stretch of highway, Tarun banished his armor, feeling both a little relieved to get rid of the heavy gear, and vulnerable at its absence. He crammed the orb in his pocket by habit and clenched his teeth; the side of his shirt was all bloody. He raised it, shaking as he looked at the injury.

Hey, said Xan. I got Cye with me...listen to me, 'kay? He's gonna kinda tell me how to see how bad you're hurt.

Okay... It was ugly, Tarun knew that, and he also noticed a few minor burn marks from Moral's laser. He finally remembered his face, and put a hand to it, whimpering slightly as his hand brushed the deeply seared line. It went from his cheek, right over his ear, grazing the back of his head. He leaned against the wall of the ditch, feeling suddenly exhausted. He'd used more energy in the last half hour as he ever had, and he sensed the day was nearly over. It was almost twilight, so Xander and Amaya would be able to recharge soon.

How long is it? came Xander's voice finally. The cut, I mean. You know about how long a meter is, right? And centimeters?

Y-yes. Tarun looked, trying to judge. I think fifteen centimeters.

Okay good. Is it very deep? How far did it get through your armor?

I-I don't know... How did you tell that kind of thing? It wasn't like he could measure it. Tarun looked at the wound, which was still bleeding somewhat, and very carefully moved the skin so the cut opened a little. He bit down on a whimper as he looked at the cut, and it looked deep to him, but he had no experience in judging a wound that size. And he was very scared, which made it seem a lot worse. I dunno! It's...it's still bleeding, he finally said. But not a lot.

There was silence for a few minutes before Xan came back and said, All right, take it easy, half-pint. Cye says it's not as bad as it could be. And he knows a whole assload more about healing than me. But you're gonna have to be careful. If you can, find something you can wrap your side with—your shirt if nothing else. Wrap it tight, and tie it. And try not to move around much for at least a couple of hours. We're all separated for the moment, we scattered. Kento and Amaya are together, and Cye's with me. We're gonna try and get back together, but I dunno how soon that's gonna be.

Okay, said Tarun. He was beginning to calm further, though much of it was his exhaustion. If he'd been a bit older, he might have been paranoid that his growing fatigue meant he was bleeding to death or being killed by Sekhmet's poison, but none of that occurred to Tarun. He hurt a great deal and was not very happy, but away from the battle and in the deserted quiet, his panic had gone. He suddenly realized he didn't know how badly they had been hurt, and asked.

Well we're alive, said Xan sardonically. We took some pretty good injuries, too. I think I've got a concussion; that miserable, slimy, savage jerk from China hit me in the head—again—with his damned...whatever it is. Tarun winced, remembering Xander had fought Shuang one on one before. Got lots of bruises, few cuts. Cye's got a few fractures.

We're all right, also, said Amaya. Kento's arm's been badly cut, but we got it bandaged. We managed to grab our packs, so we had the first aid kits. And some painkillers.

Cye and I are really lucky, said Xander ruefully. He can do what Killian can, and stops the pain. Especially since only Cye could grab his pack; I wasn't even thinking of grabbing mine when we ran.

Tarun scowled thunderously; he had not managed to grab his own backpack, and wished he had. Amaya was right, they had painkillers in the first-aid kits! Tarun hoped he found another store so that he could get some. Sniffling, Tarun wiped his eyes carefully, and took off his shirt, using his teeth to rip it along its side seam, and was glad it was long-sleeved. He wrapped it around himself, clenching his teeth on a sob as he tightening the makeshift bandage, hands shaking and clumsy. Amaya said something else then, but he barely heard it, focused on his task. He fumbled for the sleeves of his shirt, tying them around the injury, bracing himself and giving it one good pull, cinching the knot tightly. He was in tears again when he was done, slumping back against the ditch's side and curling up.

Tarun...Tarun? Amaya, worried again.

I'm okay, said Tarun, but didn't say much more. Amaya and Xander talked a moment more, getting an idea of where each other had run to and trying to figure out where Tarun was, running as fast as he had. But Tarun had taken so many twists and turns at that great speed that he didn't know where he was at all. Maybe later, when he'd rested some, he could find a highway sign.

He realized he was going to have to sleep without a watch. If someone snuck up on him while he was asleep... He bit his lip, trying not to think about it, shakily standing up and looking around.

The highway was very, very spooky, littered with abandoned cars, and completely deserted. The wind whistled eerily across it, moaning in the air like an angry beast in some deep lair. Tarun saw that he'd managed to make it somewhat away from the city proper, where only a few buildings had stood at intervals along the highway. Most were destroyed.

But the cars...!

Tarun half-listened to the older Ronin talking in the mind link as they made their way farther and farther from their pursuers. Tarun was lucky in a way; he'd been able to lose the enemy fairly quickly. Tarun peered into one of the cars, half afraid that he might find someone dead, but he didn't. In fact he found a Subway bag on the floor. The sandwich was long rotted, and he threw that out, but there was an unopened bag of chips in the bag, and a six-pack of Mountain Dew Ultra soda on the floor next to it. He climbed very carefully into the seat, opening the chips and beginning to eat them.

You holding up all right, kiddo? came Xander's voice.

Yeah, said Tarun tiredly. I'm in a car, it's on this highway. I found chips and Ultra. I'm gonna see if one of the vans is open. They have bed-seats in the back. The orphanage had a van, and there was a bed-seat in the back.

That's actually a very good idea, said Amaya. Once you've eaten, search some of the cars if you feel up to it. There might be some water or food supplies—even first aid kits! A lot of people keep first aid kits in their cars. And on a highway there are a lot of cars. You'll be well-camouflaged.

Oh yeah! First-aid kits! That was a good idea. I'm gonna sleep first, though.

All right. Be careful, kiddo, okay? This was from Xander, and Tarun promised that he would.

The chips disappeared quickly, and Tarun decided he didn't want any Ultra just then, or he wasn't gonna sleep at all. He grabbed the six-pack and slipped carefully out of the car, scanning for a van that wasn't on its roof. He saw two right together near the shoulder of the highway, and walked over towards them. One did not have any open doors, though Tarun supposed that once he was ready to search them more thoroughly, he could break windows if he had to.

The other was open, and Tarun crept into the backseat, curling up carefully and closing his eyes. It was really nice to sleep on something soft! He must have been a lot more tired than he thought, because he only barely remembered closing his eyes.


	27. Dark of Night

CHAPTER 27: Dark of Night

Night was beginning to fall, and Kento felt utterly exhausted. He and Cye still were not fully recovered from their ordeal at Talpa's hands, and probably would not be until they could get back into the Spirit Realm. Then they'd walked from dawn to late afternoon, and then this battle...

Kento was no stranger to battles. The Dynasty had not been the only threat they had helped to fight in their lifetimes, though it was the biggest one, not to mention the most persistent and difficult to banish. But Kento was not used to fighting unarmored, nor was he accustomed to being so badly outnumbered. He didn't like the fact that Talpa had expanded his forces, and that his new warlords seemed just as deadly and evil as the original ones.

It was almost surreal, fighting Dais once again, as if time had rolled back nearly one hundred years, to when he and the others had first encountered the Dynasty. That had been when the Ronin Warriors had only barely learned of their own destinies. And now, it seemed as if no time had passed.

Except for these new Ronin. It was weird enough hearing of new Ronin to begin with, another generation of warriors that would wear the armor that had become a part of Kento and the others. But the ones he traveled with now were doubly strange, wearing unfamiliar armor, armor that had never been touched by Talpa's evil hand. And they were every bit as much warriors as Kento and his friends had been, though Kento didn't think all of them had fought very long. He knew Demetrius, at least, had never fought in his life before becoming a Ronin. Kento was impressed at how much they had all learned.

Still, it had kinda been fun. Kento was no fan of being injured as badly as he was, but he was tough, and he wasn't going to complain too much about it. He was more ticked off that they'd been ambushed than the fact that he'd had to fight. He liked fighting, and it had felt good to be able to fight the Dynasty again. He just wished he had his armor!

What he hadn't liked was seeing the others getting hurt, especially the little Indian kid. He'd been shocked at first to hear a child had been chosen as a Ronin, that he might have to endure the pain and fear and the dire, deadly risk Kento and the others had gone through when they were Ronin. And now that he'd met the kid, had taken a great liking to him, he felt almost angry he'd been conscripted into the battle. He wasn't all that much older than Yuli had been when he first met him.

And now Kento was stuck with this girl of night. Of the new Ronin, it was she that Kento knew the least. She was grim, quiet, and humorless, and Kento had to look closely to see the deep bond she had with her friends, to see the same love that Kento had for his friends. He was surprised that she and Xan got along so well, as different as they were; Xander was a little more like Kento, though more obnoxious.

Kento hissed slightly as he looked down at his arm, wrapped tightly with bloodstained gauze, and scowled. Years after Kento's death, and he once more had a score to settle with Dais; it hadn't been entirely fun to feel Dais's spiked ball crashing into his arm. Again. "Jerk," he muttered.

"Who?" Amaya said with a frown, looking over with mild confusion.

"Dais," said Kento, his scowl deepening. "I owe him one. Actually I owe him about a dozen."

The girl nodded, looking at his arm. "Is it doing all right? Still bleeding?"

Kento looked again, and then shrugged. "I don't think so," he said. "Just hurts a little. I'm more pissed than anything else."

"I see that," said Amaya, smiling a little bit, but it wasn't a very bright smile. Being aligned with night, Kento supposed that her personality wasn't bright like Tarun's was, but jeez! Couldn't she lighten up a little? It was like having Anubis for a traveling companion. Even once he'd broken from Talpa and joined the Ronin in their fight, Anubis had been grim and quiet. Kento smirked to himself as the pair of them walked along the street, trying to get as much distance as possible between them and the battle scene. He wondered if Amaya would take offense to the comparison or not.

Kento shrugged again and fell quiet, but he didn't let his guard down. It had been a close thing, their escape, and Kento was not happy about retreating with his tail between his legs. "Retreat" was not normally a word in his vocabulary, but even he'd seen that they weren't going to win that fight, and that pissed him off.

"Cement is a poor substitute for stone," Kento said suddenly, looking down at the cracked sidewalk they were walking down. "Don't guess there's any place around here that's got real stone, or at least gravel, or even earth. I really gotta recharge."

Amaya stopped, and for a moment he thought she'd gotten angry, but soon saw she'd just stopped to think, probably going through mental maps. Kento knew very little about the city, and had no clue where they were, only where Talpa's palace was from there.

"Well," said Amaya in Japanese, the language she'd been speaking since they retreated, "the shoreline is a few miles away. But it's the opposite way from where you said Arago's palace is. The quarry's nowhere near here...it's too bad, there's plenty of stone there. Demetrius goes there a lot with Rashida when she goes on a dig with her mentor." She sighed, and Kento repented a little of his irritation with her. No matter her demeanor or personality, she did miss her friends, and was just as worried about them as Kento was about his.

"They're gonna be fine," said Kento, managing to manufacture a pretty cheery grin. "Ryo'll look after them, and I'd guess Nohano would too. They're a lot alike." Actually Ryo and Nohano were probably getting along just fine, and making life inconvenient for their captors.

Amaya smiled again, this one a little more sincere than her previous one. "Yes," she said. "That is true. All right, I think there's a park here somewhere. It will have earth, and possibly some stones around the lake."

"Too bad Cye's not here; he'd like the lake," said Kento, following Amaya as she headed off the sidewalk and in through the half-collapsed buildings. They'd not seen any slave crews or wrecking crews of late, which relieved Kento a bit. He hated seeing them when he could do nothing for them, and it also meant the soldiers weren't around.

It didn't take long for Amaya to find the park, though she didn't seem thrilled to see the huge crag of rock that jutted out from the middle of it, having twisted several pieces of playground equipment into senseless metal. "Well, there's Nether Realm stone," said Amaya, gesturing. "But if what Demetrius says is true, you probably would prefer Earth stone."

"Definitely," Kento muttered, giving the crag of rock a look of disgust. He peered around the darkened park, squinting his eyes to make out vague shapes. "I suppose you have no trouble seeing? It's almost dark, and I can't see a damned thing."

"The lake is this way," said Amaya, looking faintly amused. She skirted the rocky crag and crouched by a flat plain that Kento realized was the still lake. The earth beneath his feet felt nice enough, but when Kento saw several large rocks bordering the lake, he grinned. That was more like it! He crouched by one of them that was as big as his head, putting his hands on it and letting a small sigh at the stolid, steadying energy he began to draw from the stone.

Energy was a strange thing to Kento. Before he became a Ronin, he'd have thought of energy the same way most people did, as something explosive and powerful, like lightning, or electricity, or internal combustion. But there were as many kinds of energy in the world as there were kinds of people. Ryo's energy was hot and violent; Cye's was languid and smooth, not dreary but comforting. Kento's was unyielding, a foundation for his strength, and Sage's was bright and warm, closest to Kento's first impression of what energy was. Rowen's was elusive and open, like wind.

The new ones were a little more difficult to understand. Kento had felt the others' energy through the mind link, and through Kikoutei. But these he could only observe. Amaya's seemed to be quiet and dark, like a lightless pool in a cave, but not evil or forlorn. More like a womb, he supposed, though the idea was pretty weird to him.

Kento moved along the pond, grasping the rocks, and wondering what someone would say if they were to see him fondling the rocks. Rowen generally got a chuckle or two watching him grabbing rocks for energy; Rowen just had to stand in the wind. In fact Kento and Ryo were the only ones who looked really weird when they were grabbing energy from their elements!

Tarun's energy was easy to see and to understand. It was bright and honest, and kind of like what you'd get if you gave a squirrel way too much caffeine. Xander's...now Xander's personality was strange. He was not shy, but there was a lot hidden. He was like Sage in that aspect, there was a whole lot below the surface, but a casual observer wouldn't see it because Xan was outgoing. It was only when he got quiet that it was more evident. His energy was mysterious to Kento. He knew Xan's virtue was protection, shield, but it was a tough one to describe.

He looked over at Amaya, who was looking up at the dark sky, frowning a little. Kento wondered what was wrong; surely she didn't mind the darkness of the night or the Nether Realm. She probably didn't like the evil of the Nether Realm, but that was a different story altogether. "What's wrong?" he asked, picking up a large stone and carrying it over so he didn't have to shout to talk to her.

"I haven't seen the moon in days," she said with a sigh. "The Nether Realm doesn't even have one."

Kento snorted. "Sure it does. It just doubles as the sun."

Amaya laughed, a surprised, light sound that surprised Kento. "You make a good point," she said ruefully. "Feeling a little better?"

"Definitely." Kento tossed the stone down and took a big breath. The awful exhaustion was gone, and the stone and the earth had even taken the edge off of his pain. "Let's find someplace to rest, huh?"

Amaya looked around the park before nodding to a shadowy place that looked like a big, black blob to Kento. "There," she said. "I think it's a picnic shelter. We've got blankets, at least, though I guess you'll just lie on the dirt?"

"You guess right," agreed Kento, following her to the dark shape that Kento could only now identify. There was some light coming from the Nether Realm, the sick, yellow light from its strange sky, but it cast weird shadows and messed with the colors. Kento really didn't care for it much.

Amaya spread out her blanket, sitting down on it and setting her bag down beside her. She rummaged in it for some dried fruit, and Kento realized that they were going to have to find water for their dehydrated stuff, else they might have a problem. He wondered if the lake water was okay, and wished Cye was there to ask. Actually, he wished Cye was there just because he wanted him there.

Kento knelt down, scraping up the dirt with his hands and making it soft. He sat down, looking over at his traveling companion as he rummaged in his pack for something to eat. She was a pretty girl, not much younger than he was, though her blue eyes were strange and intense. He was struck again how much she looked like Ryo, and as always, realizing she was his great-granddaughter made him almost dizzy with wonder. It was weird!

Hey! Cye's sudden mental voice made Kento jump and spill raisins all over the ground.

"Aw, man!" he exclaimed, sighing. Amaya looked up, startled, and asked what was wrong. "Cye just said hello and made me drop raisins," Kento grouched, squinting at the ground and trying to locate them. It didn't do to waste food if he could clean them up.

"Look out," said Amaya, sounding amused, and Kento moved, letting her grab them all. She was the one who could see in the dark, after all.

"Thanks." Switching to the link, he said, What's the big idea, anyway? You scared the hell out of me!

Cye's mental chuckle was weary, but still amused. Sorry, Kento, he said. I just wanted to know how you two are, and where you are.

Well the "where" I'm not sure of just yet, said Kento. Amaya handed him a handful of raisins, and he thanked her again. We're at a park, gonna turn in soon. I guess we'll do watches, though it won't be so easy with just two of us.

All right, said Cye. We're camping out near a stream we found. Xan's got his blanket set up on a sorta bed of grass, and I'm sleeping in the water while he takes first watch. That was Cye, all right. Kento wondered briefly if he'd be able to breathe if he was buried in the earth. Probably. Cye could breathe in water and Rowen could breathe at impossible heights, and Ryo in the fire, so Kento imagined he would be able to just get his oxygen from the earth. For that matter, if he had more energy, he'd just bury himself. At least he'd be hidden.

How's the kid doin'? He's not with you guys, is he?

Are you kidding? said Cye wryly. None of us'd be able to keep up with him. He's on some highway somewhere sleeping in an abandoned van. He's probably got a more comfortable bed than any of us. Well except me. If I'm in the water, I'm comfortable.

Okay. Well, night then, brother. Let's see if we can manage to get back into a group—why does the damned Dynasty always manage to get us split up, anyway? That, at least, didn't change any.

I don't know, said Cye, but we'll be all right. Let's get some sleep.

Yeah. Sleep. The whole thing was sorely beginning to depress Kento—it was tough looking at the same bleak landscape day after day. Though "landscape" really wasn't the word. Sighing, he lay down on the soft dirt, and looked at the dark form that was Amaya. "You wanna take first watch, or me?"

"I will," said Amaya. "I'll just armor up and let it energize. I'll wake you in a few hours."

Kento nodded, closing his eyes. It was a great relief to be able to do this after the long day, though he'd be far happier if his friends were all there, safe with him. "Hang on, Ryo," he said quietly. "We're comin' for you guys."

---

The next day, Kento and Amaya ate a rather pitiful breakfast. Kento was hungry, but he didn't want to eat too much and risk running out later, and Amaya never ate very much to begin with. He couldn't bring himself to complain, though; he knew his friends at Talpa's palace weren't being fed at all, and Amaya's group probably wasn't being fed much, either. And he knew Sage's counterpart, Rashida, was hypoglycemic. 'Poor girl's probably miserable,' he thought, sighing. They were all miserable in that goddamned place. Kento clenched a fist, blinking as he looked down and realized he had squashed his box of raisins. He opened up the box and looked dryly at the mass of dark brown that came out. Shrugging, he took a bite. It still tasted the same.

Amaya said that she was checking in with the others, and Kento did the same with Cye. Cye had gotten about as much sleep as Kento had, since they also had taken turns at watch. Kento almost envied Tarun being alone. He couldn't possibly watch all night, so he'd just gone to sleep, and was able to sleep through morning.

"I know vaguely what direction they're in," said Amaya. "I can sense it. But the Nether Realm – it blocks this much."

"Could be a Dynasty trick," said Kento warily.

Amaya shook her head. "No. Why bother to trick us if they can ambush us at any time?" She made a good point, Kento supposed. "Though the warlords are probably still around there somewhere. That wretch Vittorio made sure to tell me his armor gave him the ability to go for days and nights without eating or sleeping, and that I couldn't possibly escape him for long. When I told him that the average wall clock could do the same thing and was a good deal more intelligent, he stuck his spear through my armor." She scowled down at her leg, where she'd taken an injury from Vittorio's weapon. It wasn't bad, but bad enough to irritate her.

Kento began laughing, leaning against one of the supports for the picnic shelter, slumping against it. Yeah, his life was definitely weird, both as a human and as a spirit. Though at the moment those two parts of his life seemed to have merged for a while. "Yeah well, warlords don't like being called stupid," he said. "Even if it's true."

Amaya nodded, but didn't comment more on the battle, only put all of her supplies back into her bag and closed it up. "Guess it's time to head out. We gotta find each other, then find Tarun. Fast as he runs, he could be miles away. He says he sees a sign that says '280', but that doesn't tell us much. That's a long highway, and he could be anywhere along it."

"Sounds fun," said Kento. "But tell him not to go too fast; we don't want him reaching Talpa's palace before us, alone."

Amaya laughed a little. "He doesn't know where it is, so I doubt that. But I'll pass the message along."

Kento nodded, standing up and hefting his bag. He winced, horribly stiff and sore from the previous night, and cursed Dais and the other miserable warlords under his breath. He couldn't wait to meet them again in battle, and this time he'd be better prepared. If only he'd been able to keep hold of Dais's weapon! If it hadn't belonged to the man he hated most in this world or the next, he would have thought it was a pretty cool weapon.


	28. Shuten Doji

CHAPTER 28: Shuten Doji

Tarun groaned in his sleep, rolling over very slightly in his "bed", enduring a vague, unhappy dream where he struggled through an endless city filled with destruction and killing. Everywhere he looked were the Dynasty soldiers, bigger and more powerful than ever, and Talpa's warlords pursued him endlessly. Not even with his armor could Tarun ever outrun them.

He woke with a gasp, opening his eyes and blinking for several moments as reality slowly superimposed itself on his last dream image, shutting it out. A sharp pang from his side made Tarun clench his teeth, forgetting the dream in the face of his more immediate problems. He remembered the battle very well; it had been his first really big one, and he'd not come away from it unscathed. It was the worst he'd ever been wounded in battle.

It was very scary, but Tarun kind of liked the idea, also. He was proud of himself, and though he thought he probably could have been a lot braver, at least he hadn't been a total coward. Still, it wasn't any fun having pain, and he hoped that as he went through the abandoned cars on the highway, he would find a first-aid kit like Amaya said.

The boy sat slowly up, looking down at his shirt, which he had used to bandage his injury. It was reddened and sort of stiff with blood, which scared Tarun. But he didn't think he was bleeding any more. It hurt.

At least it was daytime again, and Tarun had gotten several hours' worth of deep sleep. The sun, even behind the clouds as it was, was invigorating him, and a can of Mountain Dew Ultra would be perfect. He reached down for the six-pack he'd snagged the night before from a car, but gasped as his movement caused his injury to twinge him badly. Grimacing, he moved far more slowly as he bent, picking up the six-pack and wrenching one of the cans out of its plastic holder. He checked in with Amaya and Xander while he drank it, and said he was going to search the cars once he was done drinking his Ultra.

No one had attacked Tarun in the night, of course, and the highway was as deserted as always, which put him far more at ease than he had been the night before. Finishing off his soda, he set the can on the floor and slipped out of the back seat, standing on the floor and peering behind the seat to see if the van had any food or other useful supplies. He didn't think he'd get lucky and find anything so quickly, but it didn't hurt to try.

The day outside was chillier than it should be, and Tarun wasn't sure why. It was the middle of spring in California; it should have been far warmer, clouds or not, and the Nether World wasn't all that chilly, either. He wondered if Kale had anything to do with it, wondering if he was able to make a whole city cold somehow. His black lightning slash certain was cold. Tarun took a moment to summon his riot gear, cutting off the chill wind, and even easing the pain of his injury, making it a little easier to move around. Tarun wondered why holding a wound made it hurt less. It didn't make sense to him. He noted vaguely that the burn lines were gone from his armor, and wished that Tarun's injuries could be so easily fixed!

Before beginning his search, Tarun glanced into the side-view mirror of the van he'd slept in, blinking in surprise. He had a large bruise on his left cheek, the eye blackened on that side also, and he thought someone must have hit him during the fight, but he didn't remember it. It could have been when Kale first attacked him, or maybe when Tarun had run into the building while fleeing from Jin Tanaka.

A deep, wide, ugly-looking burn line seemed to almost shine on the other side of his face, cutting a swath through his hair towards the back of his head. Tarun grimaced as he looked at it, shaking a little as he remembered getting it. Scowling, he fervently hoped that Moral Sullivan was still sore (or worse) from being knocked out by Tarun, and that he never found his stupid laser pistol again!

Finally he left the van, looking down at the highway and its endless litter of abandoned and wrecked cars. Sighing quietly, the boy began peering into windows and searching the open cars.

Tarun spent the next few hours methodically searching the vehicles along the highway, going through the trunks and looking under the seats. In one car's trunk he found a baby stroller, and with difficulty, lugged it out and opened it up. It was one of those cool ones with three wheels, and an open seat area inside, covered in netting. It was certainly a lot easier to use than lugging plastic grocery bags around all morning! And by that point he's found several bottles or cans of soda, two six-packs of bottled water, a lot of snack-type foods, and a whole bag full of tab-lid cans. He paused briefly to make a meal out of cold, canned ravioli, which wasn't entirely tasty, but at least it was food. Tarun was hungry enough that he didn't much care.

It was midmorning when he found it; a bright orange case about the size of a lunch box, with a red cross on the outside. Tarun let a shout of glee, pulling it out from beneath the seat of a Toyota that looked a lot like Suisei's. I found a first aid! he shouted into the mind link, feeling three startled reactions from the others.

Oh good! said Xan, though I'd bet by this point your injury's probably not bleeding anymore, is it?

Nope! said Tarun.

He should still clean it, though, said Amaya, and he'll be able to bandage it properly. Not to mention the painkillers.

Yeah, good point.

Tarun was too intent on investigating the contents of his find to notice that there was one more person in the mind link than there should have been until a very taken-aback sounding mental voice spoke: Um...Tarun, that's you?

Tarun blinked, dropping the package of gauze he was holding, utterly shocked to hear Kento's voice in his head. Holy cow! Kento, how'd you get in our link?

I'm not entirely sure, said Kento. I heard you say you'd found the first-aid kit—hold on a sec. Tarun forgot about the kit in front of him as he listened, wondering how the heck he'd managed to get his gleeful declaration into Kento's head, too. Kento was obviously puzzled, too, but when he came back he was laughing in amazement. Tarun I think you've made a link with me. Cye says that when someone's feeling something strongly, its more likely to connect mentally, and that we do all have a Ronin spirit connection...Ryo and Nohano linked, too.

Tarun giggled, grinning widely, at the idea. He liked having Kento in the link, too, and wondered if they could get Cye into it, also. Can the others hear?

We hear something, came Xander's puzzled voice. The hell's going on, anyway?

Tarun explained to him that he and Kento had apparently formed a mind link, and that they should try to get everyone connected together. He remembered that Nohano and Killian had been the first to really link in their group, but once they had, it wasn't difficult to get everyone else linked, also.

Going back to investigating the contents of the first aid kit, he joined the others in trying to connect everyone into the same link. Kento and Cye could talk, and Tarun could talk with Amaya and Xan. With Kento and Tarun's new connection, they began drawing the others into their link. It was strange; at first all Tarun could hear was a strange sort of echo of Cye's voice, channeled through Kento, but the echo got stronger and stronger. It was all of a sudden when the link was made, and Cye's voice came through loud and clear.

That's cool! exclaimed Xander. It's certainly a lot easier than trying to relay messages all the time.

Neat! said Tarun. Hi, Cye!

Cye's mind felt a lot like Killian's, though more gentle, and maybe just a little shy. There definitely wasn't anyone in Tarun's group that was shy, unless you counted Amaya, and she wasn't shy all that often. Kento's was open and honest, and Tarun liked it as much as he liked Kento himself.

Hello, Tarun, said Cye with a chuckle. You've found a kit then, have you?

Yes! Can you tell me what to do with it?

Well, first of all, find a packet of painkillers. It'll make the whole thing a little less unpleasant.

Good idea! Tarun carefully read all of the packets, finding one that said it was for pain, and carefully "sounded" out the words to Cye, asking if it was the right one. On Cye's confirmation that it was, Tarun took both of them. It had said that children under twelve should only take one, but Tarun knew this was going to hurt, and a double dose wasn't going to kill him. There were prescription things that were loads stronger than kids sometimes took!

While the others listened interestedly, Cye took Tarun through the instructions of cleaning and bandaging his injury. It hurt, but with the pills, it didn't hurt as much as it could have, and it felt a whole lot better afterward! There was even a little packet of burn ointment that Tarun found and put on the burns he'd gotten from the lasers, including the one that had his left arm sore as heck, even now.

Tarun sighed in relief, leaning back against the car he'd found the kit in, and slumping down.

Better, kid? asked Kento.

Yeah! Lots better. Thanks, Cye!

You're welcome. I'm just glad you found it.

Tarun was, too! He spent several minutes (a huge stretch of time for Tarun) just sitting and enjoying this new level of comfort. He was still sore, but overall it was a large improvement. Feeling far happier now, Tarun packed the supplies back into the orange container and put it in the stroller. Tarun wished the stroller were self-powered; he could fit in it if he scrunched, and it would be loads faster than walking, and it wouldn't use any armor power. Unfortunately, even if it had been one of the self-powered ones, it wouldn't work. Stupid Dynasty.

The next few hours were spent among the five youths strengthening their new mind link and talking with one another to pass the time. Tarun, Cye, and Xander were alarmed when Amaya and Kento were surprised by a squadron of Dynasty soldiers, but it was only a small scout group, and they were able to defeat them quickly enough. But they had to vacate the area quickly, worried that the fight might attract the warlords' attention. The warlords were going to be furious about their failure to capture the group of rogue Ronin, and no one wanted to see them again if they could possibly help it.

Sometime in the afternoon, Tarun stopped to eat the contents of another can, this one of corn, which tasted pretty decent when it was cold. He'd also found a coloring book and some crayons in one of the cars, and almost added them to his stash, but ended up changing his mind. Food was one thing, but taking a coloring book just seemed wrong, even if it was half torn. Tarun stared at it for a good long time, wondering what had happened to the child it had belonged to, and murmured a little prayer for him or her to the gods. Tarun didn't think much about religion, but he had been taught at the orphanage under Hinduism, and when he did pray, it was to those gods.

He moved on feeling far more somber.

When the sun began to set, the whole area got windy and chilly, and Tarun wasn't thrilled about it. The riot gear kept his body warm enough (though he bet if it got really cold, it wouldn't do much good) but his head was still cold, and he didn't like it. Cold springtimes just weren't right. He asked the others about it, and Amaya said that the constant cloud cover was probably doing it. She said it was like something called a "nuclear winter" – something that could happen if they ever had a nuclear war. Dust and other crap would get blown into the atmosphere, blanketing large areas in perpetual clouds, which would block out the sun's rays. When the sun was blocked for so long at a stretch, it made things cold on Earth. It was a frightening thought.

Tarun made his supper sitting in the grass next to an exit sign (when he reported the number to Amaya and Xander, they were surprised at how far away he was—he was nearly twenty miles away) and wished that he was with the others. He didn't much like being alone. Aside from the fact that it was dangerous, and that if anything were to happen, he would have no backup, it was just plain lonely! If he hadn't had the mind link, he would have been completely miserable.

Tarun was staring morosely at a nearby motorcycle, not really seeing it, when a sort of chill blew across his neck, raising the hairs there and sending goosebumps down his limbs. He frowned, eyes searching the immediate area, bringing his mind back into focus. Someone was watching him, a feeling that had Tarun very nervous; he stood, ready to armor up in a second if he had to, remembering how Kale had caught him without even his riot gear on. (And had he been just two minutes earlier, he'd have caught Tarun with his pants around his ankles, peeing! That would have been really embarrassing.)

At first Tarun didn't see anything, looking across the desolate stretch of highway, and the long fields of grass on either side of it, dotted here and there with half-ruined rest stops and travelers' gas stations. He blocked the others out of the mind link a little, not wanting them to catch his nervousness and worry, especially since they wouldn't be able to help if Tarun got into trouble. But then movement caught Tarun's attention and his eyes widened as they focused on a figured some distance away, a figure standing next to the road. Just standing.

Shivering, Tarun grasped the handles of the stroller, keeping his eyes on the newcomer, and heading slowly towards one of the nearby open cars. He wasn't sure if he wanted to run, to take cover, or to fight, but standing right there out in the open was making him feel very unsafe.

It did not look like a dark warlord or a Dynasty soldier, which eased Tarun's preoccupation a little, but that still did not mean the person was an ally. With some difficulty, Tarun began wrestling his stroller into the car, wanting it to be somewhere safe where he could come back and retrieve his supplies if he had to, then simply watched the figure. His heart gave a painful leap as the figure began to approach.

Tarun's first instinct was to run, but he quashed it, forcing himself to be calm, and to see how things played out first. He swallowed hard, bouncing a little on his heels, the desire to do something almost maddening. The approaching figure was not coming fast, nor did he seem like he wanted to fight. As he neared, Tarun could see he was wearing a weird robe, or kimono, and carried what he at first thought was a yari. It was soon clear that it was a staff of some kind, though, and though it could probably be used for a weapon (most things could be used for a weapon if someone wanted to), Tarun didn't think it was supposed to be one.

The man—Tarun could tell now that it was a man—had dark red hair that was almost as long as Suisei's, and a weird, basket-like hat on his head. As he got close enough for Tarun to make out his blue-green eyes and smooth, narrow face, he began hearing an eerie, low chiming sound he realized was coming from the staff. The metal top of the staff had rings hanging from the bottom that made a sound like a wind chime, except that this sound made Tarun shiver; it was creepy!

The man did not come very close to Tarun, though Tarun took a couple of steps back, anyway. He was about to ask the man what he wanted, but the man spoke first.

"Good afternoon, Tarun Narayan."

Tarun gaped, any nervousness gone for the moment in astonishment. How did he know? "Um." There were some things that happened that a person just didn't know how to reply to, and this was one of them! "Uh, hi...how come you know my name, anyway?"

The man chuckled, a grim sort of creepy sound that had Tarun wondering if he wasn't an enemy, after all. He sort of had the same kind of feeling the warlords did when Tarun got around them. Not the evil taint of the Dynasty, but the general demeanor, the quiet, formal graveness that Tarun associated with people like Kale and Dais. Still, the man had made no move against Tarun, and if he had an armor orb, Tarun couldn't sense it. "I know much about the Ronin Warriors, young one," said the man. "And I have come to help you in your battles."

"But who are you?"

"I am an ancestor to one of your number. My name is Shuten Doji...though you may know of me as Anubis."


	29. Dark History

CHAPTER 29: Dark History

Tarun stared for a very long time. He knew he was probably being very rude, but he couldn't stop himself, and he figured that the situation was dire and weird enough that a little rudeness could easily been forgiven. The man, Shuten (or Anubis...Tarun thought he liked that name better) looked more amused than anything, still giving that faint sort of smirk, his blue-green eyes narrowed slightly. Finally Tarun put a hand on the back of his head, regarding his visitor with a great deal of curiosity. "Hold on a sec," he said, and Anubis raised his eyebrows mildly. "How do I know you're not really a warlord? Dais can do illusions!"

Anubis chuckled, seemingly even more amused, and nodded his head. "This is true, small one," said he, "I fought alongside him for many years. I know his abilities well."

Tarun blinked again—of course he had! No wonder he seemed creepy and reminded Tarun of a warlord—he used to be one! It was an unsettling thought!

"I do not know how I can ease your suspicions, my young friend. But I do know that your enemy is far greater in number than you, and though I can offer little physical help, I am able to fight the Nether Spirits and offer advice. And as you have gotten separated from your group, and seem to be far less suspicious than your older friends, I chose to approach you."

Tarun finally laughed. 'How could he be a warlord?' he thought, 'I already knew he didn't have armor! I'd feel if he had armor!' "Okay," he finally said, and then his eyes went wide. "Oh! Hold on a sec! The others, I gotta tell them!" Anubis merely nodded, and Tarun lowered his gaze, his vision going vague as it usually did when he mind spoke. Xan! Amaya! Kento! Cye! Guess what?

There was a chorus of slightly startled "what's" and an "are you capable of talking quietly in this mind link so you don't scare the hell out of me each time?" from Xan.

Tarun laughed a little sheepishly. Sorry. But guess what? Someone came here to help us. Guess who it is!

The boy rolled his eyes and laughed when Kento guessed, What, did Superman come to help or what? Buddha?

Nooo! You dork, said Tarun, and laughed when Kento said Tarun was a bigger one. No, it's Anubis!

A startled silence greeted this declaration, and Tarun glanced up at Shuten, who returned his gaze mildly.

Yasuo's ancestor? Are you sure, Tarun? asked Amaya. Are you sure it's no trick?

Pretty sure! He doesn't have a armor orb. He's kinda creepy though, and he's got this creepy staff thing with rings that makes chiming sounds.

The Ancient's staff! Kento exclaimed. But—but Anubis is a spirit, kiddo—and not solid, like us. What could he do? Not that I wouldn't be glad to see him. Last time I did, it was before Talpa got his grimy hands on us.

He says he can fight spirits. That's good for the Nether Spirits!

Keep us informed, will you? asked Cye. Perhaps he can help us locate one another.

Hey that was a good idea! Tarun said that he would, and looked up at the red-haired man. "Sorry, I was mind talking."

"I could tell."

Tarun took a big breath, looking around before settling his gaze back on Anubis. "Well, we all got split up after those jerks attacked us and we're tryin' to find each other. I can run really fast so I got far away. But we gotta make sure the warlords don't find us, either, because they know about where we are and prob'ly know we're going to Talpa's palace to rescue our friends, and they're gonna wanna stop us. Or capture us. Or kill us..." Tarun sighed. The adventure could be fun, but it could also be depressing, thinking you knew someone who really wanted you dead!

"Easy, my young friend," said Anubis. "I can help you find the rest of your brothers-in-arms. For the moment you will want to head south; you have been going the wrong way, I'm afraid."

Tarun gaped in disbelief. "No way!" he exclaimed, slumping his shoulders in mild dismay. "Awww, man! And I went a long way, too!"

Anubis smiled his unsettling smile again. "It's all right, Tarun. We'll get there. For now, let's walk, and we can discuss the Dynasty. I know a great deal about them and perhaps can offer some insight as to how to fight them."

Now that was a good idea! Tarun nodded agreeably and grasped the handles of his stroller. "You want something to eat?" he asked. "I only have some snack and canned stuff though."

"Thank you," he said, smiling that mild smile again, "but I do not need to eat, and could not eat here in this realm if I wanted to. I am here only in spirit, Tarun."

Anubis reached out a hand towards Tarun as if he were going to ruffle his hair, and Tarun let a startled squawk as the hand passed right through his head! He stopped short, his eyes wide, staring at Anubis. He seemed so solid! He reached out his own hand and passed it through Anubis's arm, and laughed in astonishment. "Wow—that's so weird!"

"It is quite normal for me," chuckled Shuten quietly as Tarun finally began walking again. "But I understand how strange it would be to one who's never encountered a spirit before."

"Oh, I 'countered one before," said Tarun grimly. "Nether Spirits. I got possessed by one before too, I hated it! But they're not anything like you are. I think they're a different kind of spirit."

"They are," said Anubis. "Do you know how they came to be?" Tarun shook his head, curious. "The Nether Spirits were once humans. When last the Dynasty attacked this place, the soldiers rounded up the people, taking them from the mortal world and into the Nether world, is that right?"

Biting his lip, Tarun nodded. "Yes...but this time they've got 'em all working. They made slaves out of 'em."

"I know," said Anubis quietly. "But not all of them. There are a good many he has taken into his stronghold. He has towers and spires around his fortress, places of pain and despair, places where he imprisons mortals. He keeps them there, alive, every minute tormented by pain, both body and soul. For years upon years when he can. They are kept alive only by dark magic, and their minds are twisted into insanity. And finally their spirits are as well. With the dark energy of the Nether World, their spirits slowly become a part of Talpa's evil. Only then does he let their mortal bodies die, leaving only their twisted spirits behind."

Tarun stopped walked again, suddenly shaking, staring again in disbelief. It wasn't something he could grasp the full understanding of, but he knew down to the bottom of his own spirit the magnitude of this atrocity. The horrible image of one of his friends being put in one of these towers forever and ever made him clench his teeth, and he started to cry.

Anubis turned, his own haunted expression softening as he looked at Tarun. "I am sorry, little one," he said quietly. "It is not an easy thing to hear." He held out a hand as if he were to grasp Tarun's shoulder or put an arm around him, but stopped, perhaps realizing it was impossible. "But the more information you and your have, the better armed you will be."

Hey, kid, you okay?

Xander. Tarun wiped his eyes, hissed in startlement as his metal gauntlet thunked against his forehead, and banished his riot gear, using a clean bit of his bloody shirt to wipe his eyes. Y-yeah, he said. Anubis told me about Nether Spirits.

He felt a sudden surge of both anger and sympathy from Cye and Kento and suspected that they already knew how a Nether Spirit was created. Tarun thought about telling Amaya and Xan, but he didn't want to even think about it, much less repeat it. Kento came into the link then, saying he and Cye could fill the others in.

Thanks, said Tarun. It's horrible.

"It is small consolation, Tarun," said Anubis, "but it is very unlikely that your friends have been put into one of these towers. I don't think that spirits that have aligned with the armor can be put in. At least not without taking a risk Talpa would never take, that they could somehow destroy the towers and free their prisoners."

Tarun shook his head and began walking once more, re-donning his riot gear. "No, Kento says they're in that purification chamber, wh--" He broke off as Anubis's expression suddenly darkened, his striking eyes narrowing to slits, and his brow furrowing together. His hand tightened on the staff he carried, its metal rings jangling the slightest bit. For just a moment, Tarun knew what it was like to face Anubis, Warlord of Cruelty, and it scared him.

"Yes," said Anubis quietly. "I have been there, when my loyalty to Talpa began to waver."

"Me...me too," Tarun finally said, resisting the urge to take a step away from his strange traveling companion. He didn't think Anubis would hurt him even if he could, but it was still intimidating. "I mean not about the loyalty part, but being in the chamber."

Anubis's expression darkened yet further, and he shook his head. "Arago is an abomination," he said.

Tarun didn't know quite what an abomination was, but it didn't sound like it was a good thing. And it was true, too! Talpa was definitely not something good. Tarun wondered what it was like to have worked for him, and afterwards realizing what horrible things you'd done. For that matter, what horrible things had Anubis done? Did Tarun travel with a man who had killed or tortured? It was a very unsettling thought, and Tarun felt a twinge of sympathy for Anubis. It could not be an easy thing to live with.

The conversation steered into less grimmer waters then, as Anubis began telling Tarun about the safeguards and traps he knew of in Talpa's palace, and in his territory. Tarun began relating the things he was being told through the mind link, the others silent as they listened (with an occasional vehement or disgusted remark).

Tarun could not stop thinking about the Nether Spirits. In a way he was flattered that Anubis was not talking down to him, or omitting information because of Tarun's youth. It was rare to find an adult, especially one that was as powerful and had done so many things as Anubis had, that would treat a child as an equal. But Tarun was not sure he wanted to know what Anubis had told him. He couldn't get the image out of his head, the image of hundreds of people suffering constantly, not able to move, or to gain comfort...unable even to die. And then, once death did take them, they still could not be free of Talpa, perhaps did not even want to by that point. After years, how could anyone ever remember their humanity? He had loathed the Nether Spirits for their cruelty, remembering the endless hours in the purification chamber, the horrible pain of their draining his energy...but now he almost felt sorry for them.

"Anubis?"

Anubis looked down at Tarun, smiling a little. "Yes, small one?"

"Can a Nether Spirit ever be saved?"

For a long moment, Anubis did not answer, and Tarun wondered if anyone had ever asked him that. Was he, too, remembering long hours in the purification chamber? Was he thinking of innocent people being tortured for years upon years? "I don't know," he finally said. "I cannot think that it has ever been done. Or attempted. I think that if it were possible, they would need to be drawn from the Nether World first. But it is my opinion that it's not possible. I think that once they have been transformed, that even if they could be changed back, it would be a cruelty in itself for the spirit."

Tarun did not like that answer! He didn't think there should be things that could not be fixed in one way or another; there was always a way to fix something! Maybe not perfectly, but there was always a way, even if a person never found out the way! He did not ask about the Nether Spirits again, and even managed to push the matter to the back of his mind. But he did not forget it completely. It was not a thing easily forgotten.

"When you are able to breech Talpa's defenses," said Anubis, briefly explaining what the phrase meant when Tarun asked, "I will be going in with you. I will be able to help hold the Nether Spirits back...but I have another task to perform there as well."

"What's the task?"

"To destroy Badamon."

Tarun felt his eyebrows go up as if they had a mind of their own. "I know that name! Kento and Cye said he's the jerk that grabbed him and the other Ronin and sucked them into the Nether World!"

Yes." The word was grim and final. "I have fought him once before, and will destroy him this time. He is the one who leads the Nether Spirits, and is one himself, the oldest of Talpa's Nether Spirits. He had caused suffering for countless centuries. As long as he exists, Ryo and the others will be in danger, even if...when...we manage to get them back to their home."

How did one destroy a spirit? Could they even be destroyed? They were already dead! He asked Anubis if it was possible.

The man gazed at the chimes on his staff for several moments before nodding. "Yes," he said, but didn't offer any more details. Tarun decided he really didn't want to know.

The two of them walked in silence, and Tarun wondered why Anubis had not come before this. He was about to ask when he heard a high-pitched shriek, and stopped cold, looking wildly about. For a moment he wasn't sure where it had come from, and saw that Anubis looked around alertly as well, and then the cry came again. Tarun looked back towards where they'd just come from and saw the shadows of Dynasty soldiers. "Hey..." Tarun said quietly, feeling suddenly shaky, his first instinct to rush in right then and there and attack the group, his second instinct to run.

"It may be best to avoid them," said Anubis, frowning, "depending on how many there are. But there's something..."

Tarun thought so too, at first, though it only seemed to be a small group of them, and Tarun wondered what they were doing there. He panicked for a moment thinking they were after him, but a moment later the high-pitched shriek came again, and Tarun's eyes went wide. They were chasing down a very young human.

It was no longer a question, whether he should go in and fight. Tarun clenched his fists, began sprinting at the group, calling his armor as he did. One of the armor soldiers glanced up, and Tarun yelled at the top of his lungs, "HEY! Let him go!"

That got their attention. There were six of them, and as Tarun yanked his sling from its pouch, he doubted for just a moment whether he'd done a wise thing. But he remembered fighting the Dynasty soldiers, and they were not difficult to destroy—and he could no more leave some child to their mercy than he could walk right up and surrender to them!

The first one that had noticed him let go of the child's arm—Tarun saw the kid was a boy, maybe five years old, who ran away sobbing in fright. The soldier lifted a weapon that looked like a scythe with a mace and chain on the end, and Tarun charged into the fight.


	30. Warlord of Illusion

CHAPTER 30: Warlord of Illusion

"Tarun, no!"

Anubis's alarmed warning barely registered in Tarun's head; all he saw was a group of those miserable, awful Dynasty soldiers who were enslaving people, and now hurting some little kid! He stopped a small distance from them, feeling that buzz again in the back of his head and wondering if it was the adrenaline the others always talked about. Tarun loaded his sling and spun it in quick circles as several of the soldiers ran at him.

He heard Anubis call something from behind him, and the whole group of armor soldiers shimmered for a moment before a blinding flash of light made Tarun cry out and recoil, shocked by what he could only think of then as an explosion. He backed off a step, blinking, squinting his eyes, and gave another yell, this one of sheer astonishment; the Dynasty soldiers were gone. In their place stood a very surprised looking Dais, Sekhmet standing behind him, looking just as surprised.

Tarun's mind understood then that he'd been tricked by the very sort of illusion he had thought Anubis was, but he was too surprised to be able to react in time. Sekhmet lunged at him before Tarun could break into a run, grabbing his arm and around his waist and tackling him roughly to the ground. Tarun shrieked in furious protest, twisting around and fighting against him.

"Lemme go, Sekhmet!" Tarun growled, trying to wrench Sekhmet's grip on his arm with his teeth, but he recoiled in sudden pain, shaking his head; he'd forgotten the poison! How could he forget that?

"Still yourself brat, or I'll break you arm," Sekhmet hissed. His hand flashed out, knocking Tarun's helmet off, then connecting with the side of his face, stunning him. Once Tarun was caught and could not use either his weapon or his great speed, he was easy for a grown man to subdue. Sekhmet pinned Tarun's arm, forcing him back down on his frontside, wrenching his arm brutally behind his back.

Panic was an emotion Tarun was getting more and more familiar with. How could he be so stupid? It was the kid...he'd seen the kid, and he hadn't thought about anything else—and Dais knew that! They were gonna take him back, and they were gonna give him over to Jin Tanaka—

He had completely forgotten about Anubis until he spoke up, very close by. "Rajura!"

Tarun craned his neck to look up, but the panic did not leave; there was no way Anubis could do anything to help, not without being solid!

Tarun could not see much of Dais beyond his claw-like boots, but the hatred that dripped from Dais's voice was obvious. "Shuten—uragirimono!"

Anubis spoke in English, Tarun thought for his benefit. "I am no traitor, Dais. You are the traitor, to your own country, even your own race, Dais. You've turned on the human race because of your lust for power. No man of honor would ever harm a child." He nodded briefly down at Tarun, who caught the smallest narrowing of Anubis's eyes; he was buying Tarun time to get away!

Dais snarled. "This child has taken up the fight against us, and will pay the consequences!"

Tarun twisted his body around, feeling a thin burn of pain along his injured side, and jerked his arm as hard as he could. Sekhmet hissed in surprise, loosening his grip just a little; not enough for Tarun to get loose, but enough for him to contort himself around so he wasn't on his stomach anymore. Sekhmet brought his hand up to hit Tarun again, and Tarun wrenched his other hand out from where it had been trapped, grabbing for one of his sling-ammunition rounds.

Pain exploded alongside his head as Sekhmet's fist connected, and Tarun brought his own hand up, closing his eyes and slamming his explosive round against Sekhmet's mask. Sekhmet yelled and recoiled, letting go of Tarun and rolling off of him. Dais's attention was caught and he lunged at Tarun, but Tarun was too quick this time, scrambling to his feet and running as fast as he could. He heard Dais's snarl of sheer rage and frustration for only a moment before he was out of earshot.

Tarun paused only once to grab the stroller he had his supplies in, dragging it behind as he increased his speed once more, ducking off the main highway and into the trees that bordered the highway. The stroller snagged on the grass and banged against the ground and his legs, but Tarun barely noticed it. He burned with humiliation and anger; he had JUST been talking of Dais and his illusions! He had just wondered about Anubis and if he might be an illusion of the miserable warlord—and then this! How could he be so stupid?

The boy ducked into the trees, shaking from the sudden encounter, realizing he'd been shutting his friends out of the mind link ever since he first saw the Dynasty soldiers. Or rather since he had thought he saw Dynasty soldiers. He leaned against a tree, sniffling, wiping his eyes, and let the link connect completely. They realized something was wrong, and were trying to break through.

I'm okay, he said quickly, though even his mental voice was shaky and unhappy. He felt completely stupid, and he'd almost gotten himself captured because of it.

Tarun, what in the hells is going on? demanded Xander. You're putting out all kinds of crap through the link—did you get attacked?

Yeah—but it's okay—I'm away now—the warlords are around here, Dais and Sekhmet—Anubis helped me get away, I'm okay...

What happened? Kento sounded just as worried as Xan did, which sorta made Tarun feel good, but he was so unhappy about his mistake that he could barely appreciate it. Tarun didn't answer. He couldn't. He couldn't get past the incredible riot of feelings that was crowding his mind.

"Tarun."

Tarun spun around, his heart suddenly pounding once more, to see Anubis standing there, looking concerned, but Tarun was not relieved. He grabbed a round from his pouch, hurling it at Anubis, knowing, absolutely certain it would clang off of armor. When it simply went through Anubis, Tarun blinked, so certain it was going to connect with something solid that for a moment he couldn't understand why it hadn't.

Then he burst into tears, sliding down against the tree and putting his arms around his knees. "I wanna go home," he whispered, leaning his head against the rough bark of the tree.

He saw Anubis kneel down next to him, but he didn't look at him. He heard the others trying to figure out what had happened, but Tarun walled them out. He couldn't deal with it anymore, and wanted nothing more at that moment than to be in his own bedroom, knowing that Suisei was right in the next room, and his friends were safe. He didn't even know if Suisei and the others were alive, and even if they were, they were in the hands of the Dynasty. Tarun hated the Dynasty!

"Tarun." The urgency in Anubis's voice made Tarun look up, no matter how much he wanted not to. "I know how difficult it is to fight a war, little one. But you must be brave for a little longer. We must find that child that Rajura—Dais—had. I fear he may try to recapture the child, or that the child will come to harm."

Tarun blinked; hadn't the kid been a part of the illusion? He asked Anubis, who shook his head.

"No. He was still there when I dispelled the illusion that Rajura had up. The child was real; I imagine Dais grabbed him from one of the slave groups and brought him here."

Tarun's eyes widened and he sat down, seized with dismay and sudden fear for the kid. And he'd just left him behind! "Where is he? What happened to him?"

"Follow," said Anubis quietly, standing up. "I know where he was last, and if he's not been recaptured, he should still be nearby. But be very careful, Tarun. Dais and Sekhmet may be still in the area as well."

Tarun clenched his fists angrily. "I'm ready for 'em this time," he growled, taking a big breath. And he hoped that Talpa kicked their butts because they failed, too! He followed Anubis's path through the forest, keeping up easily with him, and slowly reopening his connection to the mind link. He didn't tell them everything, only the he got taken by surprise by Sekhmet and Dais, and that Anubis had distracted them long enough for Tarun to escape.

It was Cye's voice that came through, low and soothing. You've done just right, Tarun, he said quietly, sensing Tarun's disgust with himself, even if he didn't know why. You know how many times we were ambushed? It's not always possible to be ready for the enemy.

I guess... it helped, a little. But not a lot.

Leaving his supplies behind, and making sure his sling was loaded and in his hand, Tarun raced back to the area he had seen the kid in. He slowed down before he got there, stepping as quietly as he could, and looking all around. The warlords seemed to have been gone...for now...and the highway was deserted as ever. 'They probably thought I'd be gone,' he thought. Hopefully they wouldn't bring reinforcements back.

Tarun searched for forty-five minutes, but he didn't find the child. Anubis pointed out an area in the trees where the dirt was scuffed, and there was the imprint of Dais's weird boots. With an unpleasant chill, Tarun realized they'd recaptured the kid, and probably took him back to wherever they got him from. "I hope they didn't hurt him," Tarun whispered, wanting to cry again.

Anubis didn't answer, and Tarun didn't want him to. He knew that wasn't a likely scenario. Tarun jogged back to his supplies and began walking again, this time sticking to the cover of the trees...but not too far in. He didn't want to be in the middle of the dark. Kale hadn't been there earlier, but that didn't mean he wouldn't be. Tarun felt incredibly guilty. He'd just run away from them...but how could he know the child was real? He thought it was just part of the stupid illusion! He hated Dais...maybe as much as he hated Kale—maybe more! Sekhmet he was just ticked off at; he gingerly touched his mouth where he's tried to bite Sekhmet's armor, and winced. He'd burned himself a good one. 'Stupid,' he thought. It was stupid to bite someone called Venom!

Traveling at a fourth of his top speed, Tarun was very tired by the time the day ended, but had made a good deal of progress. He'd not said a word since the fight, and barely spoke through the link. Sitting on the highway beneath an abandoned semi, Tarun ate two rolls from a package he had found that wasn't stale or moldy. He drank the rest of his current bottle of water, and climbed out from beneath the semi.

"This is where I must leave you," said Anubis quietly, and Tarun looked up in mild alarm. "I will point out the path you must take to meet up with Mouri Shin and your friend Xander, and I must meet your third group and guide them that way as well."

"Will you came back after that?" Tarun asked. He didn't want Anubis to leave, and certainly didn't want to be alone again on this creepy highway, especially not with the warlords having pinned down his location.

"Likely not, little one," said Anubis. "It takes a great deal of energy to manifest, even in image only, on this plane, and doubly so with the Nether World's influence all around. But I will be there when you reach the palace, and will fight by your side as I can."

Tarun bit his lip, not trusting himself to speak. Finally he nodded, and wished he could hug the guy. Having a companion that wasn't solid was inconvenient.

Anubis knelt, smiling at Tarun, and it wasn't his normal, creepy-ish grin. The chimes on his staff clinked, which put a little chill down Tarun's spine. Those were creepy. "Have courage, little one. I know you have plenty of it, and we will see each other again." He held out a hand, and Tarun reached out, his fingers going through it as though it was a hologram.

"Okay," Tarun said. He thought a moment, cocked his head, then added, "Tell the Ancient I said hi, okay?"

Anubis chuckled, nodding in agreement. "I will." Tarun watched him go, then, sort of disappearing into the shadows of the nearby trees. He felt horribly alone then, and a little vulnerable. He didn't want to sleep, but he had no choice, and fervently hoped no one came while he did. He crept into a car with tinted windows to sleep.

---

It took several hours for Tarun to complete his solo portion of the journey, and the sun was beginning to set when he began to hear voices, and slowed down. He was back in the urban areas of the city, and figured the highway he'd just traversed went through some kind of state park because of all the trees. Tarun left his supplies behind, creeping up on the voices...they sounded like Cye and Xander, but after what had happened the day before, he wasn't about to take the whole thing at face value.

The two of them sat in a sort of little courtyard outside a ruined apartment building, eating a meal. Tarun stepped into the courtyard in full armor (his helmet had come back when he called it), with his sling at the ready. He was about to say something to catch their attention when Cye saw him, his eyes widening in alarm for a moment as he surged to his feet. A startled Xander also got up, wearing his riot gear, his mouth open likely to call his armor. They both stopped short on seeing Tarun, and a look of sheer relief came over Xander's face.

"Tarun! God, you're okay!"

He started quickly towards Tarun, but he backed off quickly, raising his sling. "Wait! Wait, back away!" Xander stopped, looking shocked, and a little wary, perhaps wondering it if really was Tarun. "Prove you're you!"

Xander blinked, but a look of completely comprehension came over Cye's face. "Dais," he muttered. "He thinks you—we—might be Dais."

Xander swore, not at Tarun he realized but at Dais, and sighed quietly. Tarun...it's us.

Tarun bit his lip; could Dais make it seem like someone was mind speaking? I—I still don't know! What if he can make a mind-link sound?

Xander seemed to be taken-aback by that, but Cye only smiled. I don't know if he can, Tarun. But even if he can, he can't hear your mind. And we can.

Tarun felt his eyes widen; that was true! They did hear him! Tarun flung off his helmet and ran forward, flinging his arms around the startled Xander, who only hesitated a moment before hugging him back. Tarun couldn't believe how relieving, how comforting and good it felt to be with his friends, even two of them. To have SOME kind of human physical contact that wasn't a warlord trying to kidnap him! He started to cry again but he didn't care.

"Come on, short stuff," Xander murmured, "Let's get some food in you. We got the camp stove."

Tarun pulled back a little, sniffling. "I got some stuff too," he said. "Hold on." He banished his main armor, wanting to conserve the energy it had built up during the day, and retrieved the stroller with his supplies in it. When he brought it back, Xander blinked, and then laughed, and Cye gave Tarun his gentle smile.

"Now that looks bizarre," said Xander. "But it's a damned good idea."

Tarun managed to smile a little, though he was still sort of hitching in his chest. He'd cried a lot in the past two days, something he wasn't used to. "Found it in a trunk."

"It must be awfully convenient," said Cye as Tarun stopped the stroller next to the small camp.

"Yeah. And I'm glad you got the camp stove. There's stuff in here that's gross cold. Like ravioli."

Xander made a face as Tarun sat down, and Cye took a seat on the cement next to him. Without thinking, Tarun leaned against the older boy, who put an arm around him. "You all right, Tarun?"

"Yeah...I guess so."

Xander was scowling as he looked at Tarun and knelt down, gently touching his face. "Bastards. I guess they roughed ya up pretty good, huh?"

For a moment Tarun didn't know what he meant, but then remembered he was bruised up pretty good, and then Sekhmet had hit him again on the same spot; Tarun winced. "Yeah," he said. "Part was from the battle where we all got separated, too, though." He turned and showed the burn mark from the laser pistol, and Cye made a low hissing sound.

Xander swore again, scowling, and sat next to the two of them. Cye looked down at Tarun and said, "I'd like to see the sword wound, Tarun. Have you changed the bandages?"

Tarun frowned, then shook his head as he looked around and banished the riot gear. "No, I didn't think of it."

"I shoulda reminded you," said Cye quietly. "It's not something you really think about when you go around all day in sub-armor." Tarun leaned away so that Cye could see his side, and Cye gently lifted his shirt up, making that soft hissing sound again. "Looks pretty painful," he said. Tarun felt the peculiar sensation of Cye lifting the medical tape to look under the gauze, and Tarun clenched his teeth. But it didn't hurt; Cye was being amazingly gentle. "Looks like you might have re-opened it a couple of times. Running and fighting I wouldn't doubt it. But it's sealed up now. Does it hurt?"

"A little," Tarun said. "Not a lot. It hurts now like it's a bruise, but where there's the cut it's kinda numb."

"That's about normal. All right, kiddo, I'm going to clean it up and re-bandage it for you, okay? Next time we come across a stream, you can have a bath, maybe. We haven't any soap, but at least you can get this blood off of you."

"Wish I had another shirt," muttered Tarun, grimacing at his stiffened, bloody shirt.

"Maybe we can find one," said Cye. "For now, just go without it. You'll have sub-armor on most of the time anyway."

It was a good point! Wishing he'd thought to look for a shirt or a sweater or something in the cars on the highway, Tarun pulled his shirt over his head and threw it aside. He watched awkwardly as Cye took off the old bandages, tossing them away, and got out a first-aid kit from Xander's backpack. Tarun had forgotten they had them, too. He used a few of the antiseptic wipes to clean the injury, and it didn't hurt as much as Tarun thought it would. He felt Cye's presence in his mind, damping the pain until Tarun could hardly feel it. He was incredibly grateful.

"How did you burn your mouth?" asked Cye. "That's not a laser wound, is it? I don't exactly know much about laser wounds. When I was a kid, that stuff was just in the movies."

Tarun scowled, feeling doubly foolish. "I bit Sekhmet."

Cye winced as he put a soothing salve on Tarun's side and began to apply fresh bandages. "I'd bet that didn't work out so well."

"No, it didn't," said Tarun darkly. "It was dumb. But he's the one that tackled me and hurt my arm. It doesn't hurt now though. But I'm still mad about it!"

"I don't blame you." Cye finished his bandaging job, the finished product looking a lot neater and more secure than Tarun's attempt at it. He put some of the salve on the burn around Tarun's mouth and advised he try not to lick it off.

Laughing just a little, Tarun said he'd try. He thanked Cye for tending him, and leaned back against him, feeling Cye's arm go around his shoulders; Xander sat close by on his other side as he cooked something for Tarun to eat. For the first time since they'd all been ambushed, Tarun felt fairly safe and content. It was tough to be joyful or hopeful all the time, even for him, even if there had been parts of his adventure he enjoyed. And he tried very hard to be cheerful and hopeful, because it helped others feel better. It also pissed Talpa off royally, which was always worth the effort.

After a good meal, Xander said they could make a few more miles before it got too dark to see. Tarun didn't mind. He felt fairly energized, and he wasn't alone anymore. Thoughts of the child Tarun hadn't been able to find haunted him, and thoughts of the Nether Spirits kept coming to him, but he was able mostly to push the thoughts back—for now. 'We'll make it right,' he thought. 'We've got to.'


	31. Back Together

CHAPTER 31: Back Together

Kento and Amaya were just as surprised as Tarun had been when Anubis approached them at their campsite that night. He approached from a distance, and Kento had plenty of time to get paranoid by the time the man got there. Amaya was leery as well, though she said she could see the similarities between him and his descendant. Kento recognized him right away, of course, having spent months fighting him, and then years as an ally. But Illusion could make any vision perfect. Kento didn't relax until he proved that Anubis wasn't solid by waving a fist through his body. Anubis looked mildly amused.

"Always cautious," he teased lightly.

Kento snorted. "Yeah, well, Dais tricked me once too many, and I almost killed Sage because of it." It wasn't a matter he was up to being teased about.

Anubis's expression became somber. "Yes," he said quietly. "He has."

"Is Tarun all right, Shuten-san?" asked Amaya.

"I would be honored if you would call me Anubis," said the man, smiling a little. "He is all right. It is his tale to tell, so I will let him explain what happened."

Kento nodded, smiling at a little at Anubis. "It's good to see you though. Ya know I wasn't sure I ever would see anyone from the Spirit Realm again. I...I'm still not sure."

"Have faith, Hardrock," said Anubis. "I must face Badamon and destroy him. I will be there in your battle—once he's gone I believe we can draw you back into the Spirit Realm."

Kento breathed in deeply, letting it out, feeling a little more hopeful about the entire thing. The Ancient was up there, too, and if he and Anubis both couldn't get them, back to their home... "Okay."

"I cannot stay long here, I'm afraid. As you know it takes a certain amount of energy to materialize on this plane, and I have spent a good deal of time with young Daybreak. It is a tough thing to journey alone."

Kento definitely knew that. He remembered when they'd all been split up, sent to recharge their armors. He remembered being sent out to find his own spirit...that had been a joke. Dais had found him easily enough then! Why was it always Dais, anyway? What interest did the miserable bug have in Kento?

"I can guide you towards the rest of your group," said Anubis. "And I will be doing the few things within my realm of influence to throw the warlords off your trail. I won't see you again until you've reached Talpa's palace."

"Thanks," said Amaya quietly, echoing Kento's own sentiment. "We need all the help we can get."

"That's for sure," muttered Kento. He extended a hand to grasp Anubis's, only stopping when he realized it wouldn't do any good to shake the hand of an incorporeal spirit. "Sure will be glad to get back home, though."

Anubis's expression was sympathetic and encouraging. "You will. You will get home. For now, your group is less than a mile away, northwest. They have stopped for the night, and you may want to simply join them tonight before you camp. It would take perhaps a half hour."

Kento and Amaya exchanged glances, and Kento sort of shrugged. He did want to meet up with the others, Cye in particular, but he supposed he wouldn't mind if Amaya wanted to camp out for the night. It had been a long day's walk.

"Good luck to you," said Anubis. Kento and Amaya bid him goodbye, and Kento couldn't help wishing Anubis would stick around. It had been an awfully brief meeting, but he understood why; it did take a lot of energy. But he still wished Anubis would stick around. Even now, even after years of being a Ronin, he still felt a lot better with adult guidance.

They watched him go, fading into nothingness as he left. Kento sighed, then turned to Amaya. "Well, you wanna meet up with the other guys, then?" he asked. "Tell ya the truth I kinda want to myself. Don't like being separated much; that's usually when the stupid Dynasty nails us."

"All right," said Amaya mildly, beginning to pack away the supplies that she had gotten out of the bag.

Kento knelt silently to help her, wondering if she was irritated or not; she was really a tough one to understand. But he supposed if she was, she'd say so. Not that Kento cared all that much, he supposed. If she was angry about such a little thing, that was her problem. Kento would be glad to be around people he understood—even her mind-feel was difficult to read. 'Like reading a book at night,' he thought, laughing quietly.

Amaya regarded him curiously. "What's funny?"

Kento just shook his head. "Just thinking of people being different from each other," he said. "Ya know, I once would have attacked Anubis on sight. Took a while before I trusted him. And then he died... We didn't see him again except in dreams until we died, too."

Amaya stopped for a moment, frowning a little, and Kento supposed that she'd never talked to anyone before who used the phrase "until we died, too" in a conversation. "It must be unnerving to remember your death," she said. "I don't know that I would care for that."

Kento shrugged. "I guess it's a little weird at first," he said. "I was killed in battle—not the Dynasty, though. I was fifty-three." Kento began helping Amaya pack again, thinking of that battle. It hadn't even been a war...just a group of terrorists. It was a war of sorts, he supposed. Their numbers were large and they were well-armed, but it wasn't a case of one country against another. Their numbers came from around the globe. "Terrorists—the whole terrorist threat got pretty bad by the time I was older. Guess it hasn't changed, from what Demetrius has said. I don't exactly watch the mortal world from the Spirit Realm too often."

"It must be terribly strange," said Amaya again, shaking her head. "You'll be in the Spirit Realm forever now, will you?"

"Nah," said Kento. "If we chose, we could be reincarnated. But we like it where we are, and the idea of being separated made us all pretty unhappy." Their campsite packed into the bags again, they began to walk northwest. Kento heard Amaya checking in with the others through the link, telling them they were headed that way, and got an acknowledgement from Cye and Xander.

"It's a good thing to know," said Amaya thoughtfully. "It makes the idea of death a lot less frightening."

"Don't get me wrong; I was scared witless when it happened. There's sorta a void...dunno how long that lasts, but it's a transition. It's not an easy thing, getting ripped out of the body you've had for fifty-three years. Not only that, I was a kid again when I arrived there. Talk about weird. Try to think of suddenly being three years old right now, and you'll get an idea."

"No thanks," said Amaya. "I much prefer being fifteen."

"Me too, actually," said Kento. "Beats being an adult." The two looked at each other for a moment, and both of them laughed. It surprised Kento, seeing her laugh openly, but he supposed it really was a weird conversation. He tried to imagine having it while he was alive, and fifteen, and he would have thought it was pretty crazy.

The two of them spent the rest of the time talking about themselves, and the things they enjoyed doing. Kento said that he liked fighting, and was amused by Amaya's deadpan of "I never would have guessed." She wasn't entirely surprised that he liked to go rockclimbing, either, and said that Demetrius liked to explore the rock quarries. "He's more into discovery than climbing," she said. "But I guess it goes with the element of stone."

"Yeah, it does," said Kento with a laugh. "I also like to eat, but I haven't gotten the opportunity much here." He rolled his eyes, his good humor dissipating a little.

"I don't do many physical things beyond fighting," she said. "I've learned swordplay and hand-to-hand combat since I was little, and I enjoy it. But I like to read and write, and sometimes meditate. I like to go outside and look at the moon and stars...not as much as Suisei does, though."

"Yeah, Rowen likes to do that. Not me, though. Sitting down for long quantities of time isn't my thing."

Amaya smiled a bit. "No wonder you and Tarun get along." Kento chuckled. "He's really taken a liking to you."

Kento felt his face heat up just a little, flattered. He had always been good with kids, but it always made him just a little...bashful, he guessed...to hear someone say one liked him all that much. "Aw, he's a good kid," he said with a shrug. "I like him too. Kid's got guts, I'll tellya that."

Amaya smiled. "He does. I'm a little concerned about the ambush he ran into today though. He's been very quiet since then. It's not like him."

"Fighting'll do that to a person," said Kento grimly.

"No, not Tarun, not like this. He's been ambushed before. His virtue is 'hope' for a reason." She was a little vehement, and didn't seem like she wanted to think about a beacon of hope being darkened. Then she sighed. "I guess...I guess it's still hard to be hopeful. He's been through a lot." Kento wasn't sure what to say...and so he said nothing. Maybe he'd talk to the kid once they got there. He didn't think he'd be sleeping any time soon anyway.

Anubis was right; the trip didn't take them much more than a half hour to reunite with the others, and the first thing Kento did was to verify that Dais wasn't lurking around. 'Mind links are hugely convenient,' he thought to himself. The next thing he did was to hug Cye, who returned the gesture just as sincerely; they'd been together for so long in the Spirit Realm, and even when Talpa had captured them, used to one another's company. It had been lousy enough to have to separate from Ryo and the others, and even worse to have to leave them there at Talpa's mercy—or lack of it. But then even he and Cye had gotten split up thanks to the stupid warlords, and it was really good to be back with him.

Not that the others weren't happy. Amaya hugged everyone—even Cye—which surprised Kento. She didn't seem the hugging sort, and Kento liked seeing her actually show some affection. Tarun had hugged everyone, though he hadn't said a word. Cye insisted he look everyone over and see how badly they'd been hurt, but there was nothing that he could have helped with; any injuries had already been tended. "Wish Sage was here," he muttered as he sat down. "He knows a whole lot about healing than I do."

Once everyone was settled, the fivesome spent a few minutes just sitting in the dark and relating their adventures to one another. There wasn't much to tell that hadn't been shared through the link, but no one wanted to go to sleep right away.

Finally, when Cye's eyes kept closing of their own accord, and Amaya was curled up on her blanket, they decided it was time to set a watch and get some rest. Kento volunteered to take first watch, and the others readily agreed. Xander curled up next to Amaya, and Cye lay down close by. Tarun hadn't said much since Kento and Amaya had gotten there, but he didn't look too tired, either. By the scant light from the Nether World, (whose sun was still visible...day and night between the worlds was not coordinated very well) Kento could see he'd been roughed up pretty good.

"Hey kid," said Kento, giving the kid a friendly smile. "Come sit the watch with me, huh? We can talk, since according to Xan, you don't require sleep." He winked, and was rewarded by a slight smile from the kid. Tarun came over and sat by his side; he still had his sub-armor on (Kento had been amused when Tarun had told him they referred to it as "riot gear") and Kento slung an arm around him. "Holdin' up okay?" he asked. "Looks like you got the worst of a fight or two."

Tarun shrugged, looking down and nodding. His hand went cautiously to his face, wincing a bit as it brushed a nasty-looking burn wound. Kale's lightning, Kento judged, or that American jerk's laser pistol.

"I know how ya feel. I've been through that a few times myself. It's pretty rough, being a Ronin." It was clear there was something bugging Tarun, and Kento hoped to find out; aside from Tarun being one of the best morale-boosters Kento had ever met, he did like the kid very much, and hated seeing him so unhappy. Kento suspected Tarun might tell once it was just them. The kid liked everyone, but Xan and Amaya weren't the kind that someone like Tarun would bond with, and he and Kento had clicked well.

"Yeah," Tarun said unhappily. "'Specially when you do stupid stuff."

'Ahh, here it is,' Kento though, a little surprised that it hadn't taken much cajoling for Tarun to speak. But then he thought a moment later that it wasn't so surprising, considering the kid's open honesty. Kento looked down at Tarun, who refused to look back up. "I can't see you having done 'stupid stuff,' kiddo." Tarun shrugged. "Ya wanna talk about it? You know, Ronin to Ronin?"

Tarun looked up then and Kento was a little surprised to see he was crying. He wasn't sure if he'd seen him cry before, but it didn't look natural. "I-I left someone behind..." he whispered.

That didn't sound good, even if Kento was not quite sure what it meant. Who could he have left? He couldn't have left any of the Ronin behind, because none were with him, and it couldn't be Anubis; he could go anywhere he wanted. Kento tried to think of something to say, but couldn't for several moments, and then he decided not to say anything at all. He didn't want to rush the kid.

At first Kento didn't think Tarun was going to continue, but finally he did in an unhappy whisper. "I got ambushed," he said. "But it was stupid...when Anubis came, I made him prove he was real because everyone's been talking about Dais, and you guys thought Dais mighta been tricking you when you met us."

'Oh,' Kento thought, his eyes narrowing. 'Dais. That explains it...at least most of it.' He felt sudden, deep sympathy.

"So Anubis was real, but...then I saw some of the Dynasty soldiers, you know, like Cye and Xander met and fought, and I thought they were coming closer to the highway, and they were chasing a little kid! So I got mad and ran at them, I was gonna fight them—they were only soldiers and there were just six, and the soldiers aren't hard to fight—and then Anubis yelled 'no', and I got up close, and it was Dais and Sekhmet! I-I think Anubis got rid of the fake part so I could see them. So Sekhmet tackled me, and Anubis talked to them and distracted him and..." Tarun trailed off, sniffling, and wiping at his eyes with his gauntlets. "I got away and hit Sekhmet with an energy ball, and then ran—I didn't think Dais'd make themselves look like bad guys!"

"Pretty humiliating, huh?" said Kento grimly, his lip curled in disgust. "He knows there's no way he could possibly catch you so he's got to lure you to him. He fights the coward's way, Tarun. He's pulled that on us—on me—so many times it's not even funny."

Tarun nodded fervently, crying in earnest now, and Kento wasn't sure how to soothe him. "But that's not the bad part. Well it's bad, I was so stupid, and—but it wasn't all an illusion!" His voice rose and he winced, looking quickly behind him to make sure the others hadn't woken; they still slept on, and Tarun turned back around. "The little kid was real," he said, very quietly, as if he hoped Kento wouldn't hear him. "Anubis said he thought he mighta been from a slave group. And I ran—I didn't know he was real, I thought he was illusion, too—and I ran, and Anubis told me he was real, and I went to look for him, but he was gone... They took him back. I just left him there!"

Kento stared at Tarun for a moment before pulling him close and just holding him. There was not much that could be said to ease that kind of guilt, and Kento well knew this, too. How many civilians had he and the others had to leave behind? How many of them had died, and he'd been unable to help them, or even try to protect them? "Oh, kiddo," he murmured.

"And now he's prob'ly being hurt again and the soldiers have him—"

"Hey," said Kento, speaking now with urgent sincerity, pulling Tarun suddenly away to look him in the eye and put one hand on the boy's head. "Listen to me, kid. No warrior can ever save everyone. It's horrible...but it's true. No matter how hard he tries. Dais is a deceitful, cowardly, bastardly piece of crap, and it's sure as hell not your fault you were tricked. That's what he does, and he's been doing it for hundreds of years." Tarun bit his lip, and Kento brushed back a stray lock of his hair. "You never really forget it...trust me, I know. But you can't let it eat ya up like this. We'll fight Talpa, kid...and we'll win. When he's defeated...things will be okay. Some people...some people might be lost. But so many others'll be safe again. Just do your best...that's all anyone can do. And I know that's what you've been doing." He lightly touched the burn on the side of Tarun's face. "You wouldn't be injured right now if you weren't."

Tarun looked up at him, his dark eyes shining in the feeble light, and he took a big breath. Sniffling, he lay back against Kento, looking suddenly very tired. "I-I guess..." he finally said, his voice sounding defeated and unhappy. "But it's not fair. You should be able to save everyone."

"Yeah," said Kento, feeling a little glum himself. "Yeah, you should. Come on, kid, get some rest, okay? I'll wake you for second watch." Tarun nodded in agreement, curling up right then and there, and using Kento's leg for a pillow. Kento was a little surprised, but chuckled, putting a hand on the boy's tangled hair. "Night, kid." He turned his gaze back out to keep his watch, and thought about the Dynasty.


	32. Battle Plans

CHAPTER 32: Battle Plans

The next morning, everyone was quiet as they ate their breakfast rations, and Xander complained that he was getting sick of dy-hy food. No one contradicted him; even Tarun, who was not a picky eater, was getting sick of de-hy food. "Least it's food," he said finally, shrugging a little and eating one of his last rations of de-hy ice cream. He'd even shared, which was a welcome treat. Kento had no idea how they'd made food that would freeze itself when it was made, but they'd managed it somehow. He could hardly tell it from real ice cream.

"Yeah, you got a point," Xan conceded. No one said anything else as they finished their meal and continued their weary trek.

As the day wore on, the group began seeing more and more of the Dynasty soldiers, and had hidden several times from the larger groups of them, and as Amaya pointed out, they didn't want to attract attention by fighting any of the soldiers if they could help it. They'd used any cover they could find, ducking behind pink trees, the ruins of buildings, abandoned cars, and once a giant, broken statue that had once stood outside a twentieth century style diner. There weren't too many cars or buildings still around in this area; the "wrecking crews" had made rubble out of them. Their surroundings were becoming more and more urbanized, getting away from the shoreline and the national parks.

Kento did not like that they were seeing more of the vile soldiers; it meant they were getting closer to their destination. He wanted badly to rescue his friends, but he never liked going to Talpa's palace. It was an evil, gross place, so badly tainted he could feel it miles away. He never could understand how a place could be so badly corrupted.

As it began to grow dark, Kento found out he'd been right; they were getting very close, now, to Talpa's palace. As they skirted a skyscraper that was miraculously intact, they all stopped at the sight. Sheer mountain peaks rose in the distance, perhaps half a week's travel, and Cye pointed them out, his expression foreboding. "There," he said. "Talpa's valley is there."

"Oh gee, that looks familiar," said Xander, laying on the sarcasm. "My favorite place."

"Right," said Kento, matching his tone. "A real vacation spot—I'll race you there."

Xander snorted wry laughter, and even Tarun giggled a little bit.

"We'll have to begin making some battle plans," said Cye. "We'll not be able to sneak in; I guarantee that Talpa will know we're nearby when we get close. Not exactly where, he never did know that...I don't think. But he'll know we're there."

"We could try," said Amaya doubtfully. "To sneak in, I mean. He was waiting for us last time, but we got all the way to the front door."

"Yeah," said Xander. "But he hadn't taken over the whole world yet—he's got a metric ass ton of soldiers around here this time, and those miserable warlords want our heads on a plate.

Kento and Cye blinked at Xander, as Amaya rolled her eyes, and Tarun giggled even more. Kento was glad to hear the kid laugh, but he was too distracted by Xander's...interesting terminology to react. "Did you say 'metric ass ton'?" he asked.

Tarun's giggling increased, and he nodded, and Amaya sighed, hiding a smirk. "Afraid he did."

Cye gave a bemused laugh. "And just what exactly is a 'metric ass ton'? Is this a scientific measurement?"

Kento finally laughed, slapping a palm to his head and joining Amaya in rolling his eyes. "Ya know, Xan, I'd call you weird, but seeing as how we're a lot alike, I'd be calling myself weird, too, so I think I just won't."

"I think we're all a little weird," said Cye ruefully. "It's a side-effect of being a Ronin. All right. I say we get as far as we can tonight, then try and make some sort of plan of attack while we eat. We've got a few days before we get there, so we should be okay."

Everyone agreed to this idea, and they continued their march, though their spirits were a good deal higher than they had been during the morning. Tarun even goaded Kento and Xander into a race, which Tarun won because he cheated and used his armor.

"This is why we didn't accept the challenge," said Amaya, smiling faintly.

Kento snorted. "Man if we could package this kid's energy, we'd solve the world's energy crisis—if you guys still have an energy crisis, that is."

"Oh we do," said Xander. "But they've managed to get it down to a bearable level. Hey, I wonder if Tarun could power a car. Then we wouldn't have to walk, and some of them have sensors to tell you if there's a person nearby...good for avoiding pedestrians and warlords."

Tarun snickered. "You're weird," he said. "I can't power a car! I'm not liquid. I won't fit in the gas tank."

It was Xander's turn to laugh then, though something Xander said was running through Kento's head, about the pedestrian-sensor... "Amaya," he said suddenly, "do you remember when we were camped out, and you said something about...having a feeling about where Xan and Cye were? That's how we sorta knew what way to head before Anubis found us. Is that from your armor? Or is it just some kinda...I dunno, women's intuition, or something?"

"It's the armor," she said. "Part of my ability is being able to teleport, though I can't do it here with the Dynasty's influence so close. But I also discovered I can locate people."

"Does it work on the warlords?"

Amaya blinked, sitting still for a moment pondering the idea. "I...I don't know!" she finally said, then switched to mind speech, where it was easier for her to communicate. I never thought to try it before; I don't even know ho well it works on you. Up until now I have gotten only a vague idea of direction. I have never tried to pinpoint an exact location.

"Try it," suggested Cye with a grin. "If we could know where the warlords were at any given time, that sure would help against being ambushed by the creeps!"

"All right," said Amaya. "Let's set up camp over there—away from that skyscraper in case the soldiers began to tear it down; I don't want to be caught anywhere near it. I can try then."

Making camp took less than five minutes. Amaya sat down and asked Xan and Cye to go off a ways where she couldn't see them. "Be careful," she said. "Don't go too far." The boys shrugged and did as she asked, while Amaya closed her eyes and covered her ears. Kento watched with interest as they tromped off into a dark alleyway, squinting his eyes and keeping a lookout for Dynasty soldiers. He could hear a wrecking crew somewhere in the distance, but none were very close.

He turned his gaze back to Amaya, whose eyes were still closed.

We're ready, came Xander's mental voice, making Kento jump.

Okay. Amaya was very still for several minutes, while Kento got out a package of dehydrated burgers. He was getting pretty sick of de-hy all right. He gazed at the ruined skyline and sighed quietly; he would have liked to visit this world and all of its technology when it was whole. He decided would visit here again. He and the other Ronin didn't know how to do it without being linked to an armor, like when the newer Ronin "called" them, but he would learn. He wondered briefly if they needed to connect to their own armor, or if they could connect to any of the armors.

Everything was quiet for a few minutes while Kento cooked burgers, taking one package from each pack and getting the others' suppers ready as well. He watched the look of concentration on Amaya's face slowly melt into astonishment, and she laughed quietly.

"Amazing," she murmured. "I can feel exactly where they are—direction, and how far!"

Kento grinned at her as she opened her eyes. "Gonna go track 'em down?"

"Yes...I will be right back. They are not too far. And I will be careful," she added before Kento could say it. Kento snorted in amusement as she got up to retrieve the two boys.

"That was neat," said Tarun with a grin. Kento handed him a burger on a bun (dehydrated buns...it really did sound revolting...) and the kid thanked him, taking it. Kento bit down on his burger and kept an eye out for the others' return. When they got back, all grinning, Kento pointed out the food he had made for them.

"Okay, now that was cool, I gotta admit," said Xan as he sat down. "Thanks for cooking, Kento."

"You got it. Cooking's usually Cye's thing, but I figured I'd give him a break."

"Thanks," said Cye wryly as he took his burger. "Though I'm a lot better at it." He grinned at Kento, who made a scoffing noise. "It's one of my many talents."

"Modest, isn't he?" said Xander, smiling a little as he ate.

"Another of my many talents."

"I must be having a bad influence on him," said Kento ruefully.

The mood during dinner that night was better than it had been in a while. Even though Talpa's personal domain loomed on the horizon, they were all that much closer to rescuing their friends and getting them out of that hellhole. And, hopefully, putting an end to the whole thing for good, or at least for a good, long while.

Tarun shared Kento's blanket that night, curling up next to him, and Kento was a little flattered. He suspected the kid hadn't slept easily last night and wanted a little reassurance. Kento didn't mind. Having four younger brothers and sisters, he had been an official bad-dream-staver-off more than once, and he took the job willingly. He remembered when he was little and had bad dreams. No real nightmares, not as a young child, but the bad dreams were miserable enough. And Tarun had far more weight on his shoulders than Kento had at that age.

Kento took the next to last watch, and woke Tarun for last watch a couple of hours before dawn. The boy woke, looked at him blearily, and nodded, rubbing his eyes. He shook his head vigorously and made himself dizzy, but he looked a little more awake. Once he was sure the kid wouldn't fall asleep, Kento lay down and closed his eyes, hearing Tarun get up to use the bathroom...such as it was. He didn't wake again until morning.

--

The group made good time that day, covering nearly thirty miles before it got too dark to walk. Tarun's energy seemed to be back to normal and he went back to climbing trees and rocks, alternately singing a strange assortment of songs and complaining that all of the trees around here were pink like Dais's armor. (Kento had gotten a good laugh out of that one.) Kento knew the kid hadn't gotten over the things that had happened in the last few days, but he was regaining his spirit and morale. Amaya spent half her time staring off into space, concentrating on various members of the group and strengthening her direction-finder.

Kento and Cye walked side by side. In a way, Kento was glad to be back in the fight, even if he was limited in how he could help. He was glad to be fighting with his best friend at his side, though her fervently wished the rest of his brothers were there with him instead of shut up in Talpa's palace. Cye (quietly) joined in some of Tarun's songs, and sang considerably better than the kid did. Kento teased Cye about scaring off all the Dynasty soldiers with his voice. Cye snorted and said Kento was mistaking him for Rowen.

Xander didn't say much during the trek, but he seemed amiable enough. Kento didn't get nearly as clear a picture of his new allies' moods as he did with Cye and the others, even through the mind link, but Xander hadn't made a sarcastic remark about the situation or the Dynasty the whole day, which seemed like a good sign.

It was getting more and more difficult to avoid the scores of Dynasty soldiers that swarmed the area. The slave crews were mostly absent, moved on to other parts of the city, and Kento could see that they'd been kept working almost constantly since the worlds had merged. Soldiers' barracks had sprung up all over the place, and there were traps and checkpoints as the group neared the mountains. The armor soldiers here had been organized into patrols, and were policing the area.

"Perfect," Kento muttered. The group had taken cover behind one of the few remaining copses of Earth trees to peer at the buildings and the soldiers who patrolled them. "It's gonna be hell getting in there without getting caught. Talpa's not gonna want us getting in there...he's underestimated us...and you guys...too many times."

"I dunno Kento," said Xan. "I think that 'us' and 'you guys' are pretty much the same group now." Kento blinked and looked at Xan, but the other boy was smiling. "We're fighting the same enemy, at any rate."

"Yeah," Tarun said, squeezing in to stand between the two. "And we're friends, too."

Kento nodded slowly before turning back to look. "You're right," he said.

"The warlords are nearby, I think," said Amaya. "At least a few of them are. They'll be staying close, I think. They won't want to risk Talpa's wrath in letting us by."

"Damn, if we only had Kikoutei," said Kento, sighing.

"If we did, though," said Xander, "we wouldn't be able to do much except for lend our power. It is better to work all together, or to combine all the power into one fighter?"

"It depends," said Kento. "When fighting Talpa, Kikoutei's definitely the best one. Maybe even with the warlords, but if we've got warlords, and soldiers, and Nether Spirits...then it's best not to put everyone in the same area."

"It's a question of how many people you're fighting," clarified Cye, "and how powerful they are. With the Dynasty soldiers and the Nether Spirits, who are fairly easy to defeat, fighting them one on one is preferable."

"Nether Spirits are not easy to defeat," muttered Xander darkly. "Not once they zap you with their...whatever and take your energy away."

"Yes, it's best to avoid that," said Cye dryly. "But if you can hit them they go down fairly easily if they're not surrounded by their shields. The more powerful enemies, like Talpa and the warlords, it's best to all combine and have all of our power coursing through one person, who can nail them one at a time. Especially since we're covered with a protective shield, too, when we join Kikoutei."

"I get it," said Xan thoughtfully. "How exactly does Kikoutei work, anyway?"

"Beats me," said Kento, Cye at the same time saying, "We have no idea." The two of them laughed quietly, and Kento added, "The legend says that the first Ronin Warrior wore that armor, I think before the Ancient or Talpa or any of them. I guess its spirit got embedded in the Wildfire armor. I dunno, it's just a legend. At any rate, it happens when we combine our armors together. I don't know how else to describe it."

"A manifestation of our combined energies," said Cye. "The colors of our armors' energies, all combined, manifest as pure white. And all the power together forms Kikoutei. It's stronger, tougher. It has to be, to be able to channel that much power at once. It also protects Ryo more than Wildfire alone, though it exhausts him when he uses it, at least when he uses...used...it for too long."

"Maybe once we get closer, Nohano can do it," Tarun said hopefully.

"No," said Kento with a sigh. "Talpa took their armor—when he does the world-melding thing, their armor gets ripped from them, physically and in spirit, too. Until they can get the armor orbs back and call the armor back through the spheres, the won't be able to connect with their armor at all."

Tarun stared at him. "Their spirits get separated too?" he asked, shivering a little. "Awful! But if they get the armor back, will they be together again? Do they have to start all over in knowing the armor?"

Cye put a hand on Tarun's shoulder. "The spirits will be joined again, yes," he said. "As soon as they connect, the armor will remember its bearer. The armor is sentient to a degree. And it remembers its closest allies. The relationship a Ronin has with his armor is as close as it can be. Even tainted by the Dynasty, the armor won't just forget that. Even if it did used to be Talpa's."

The relief on Tarun's face was obvious. "Oh good...if we could sneak in and get their armor to them..."

"We could try," Amaya repeated. "But I have the feeling we're going to have to fight our way in."

"Well let's get out of here," said Kento. "Get a few more miles in before we get spotted. I think whoever is on watch from now on should be in armor and ready to fight if they have to." The others nodded, and, picking up their packs, and five of them trekked on.

---

The next few days were rough going for the five Ronin; several times they only barely escaped noticed by the armor soldiers, and a few times they had to fight their way through groups of them. Kento and Cye managed to arm themselves from the soldier's fallen weapons, at least, so they weren't completely defenseless. Kento grabbed a par of katana, having some experience with swordwork, and Cye got a naganata almost identical to Kento's own, only it didn't separate into nunchaku. Kento insisted that Cye keep the nagaata, since it was closer to Cye's own yari, and Cye had only a basic knowledge of swordplay.

As Kento and the others got closer and closer to the mountain cliffs, Kale and his warlords began hounding them, and the Ronin could barely stay out of their way. Amaya's newfound ability ended up being hugely useful, more than once catching the warlords' presence before they were attacked. She had taken to checking several times a day, usually focusing on Kale, since he led the warlords.

The Ronin had planned as far as they could, not knowing the situation beyond the mountains. They had specified fall-back places in case they were split up again, and gone over the weak points in Talpa's stronghold. Kento said that the mountain pass was going to be heavily guarded, and suggested going over the mountains instead. But the idea was nixed. Not only would it add days to their journey, the thought of being attacked while perched on the edge of a cliff had everyone feeling pretty queasy. "Especially since Suisei's not here," said Xander as they walked, now constantly on the look-out for ambush.

"Or Rowen," said Cye. "Kento, can you carve out a tunnel from the rock? We could just make our own tunnel."

Kento shook his head. "No way, man. I'd run out of steam before I got halfway...a mountain is a little too much for me to manage. If we could do it over several days..."

Amaya shook her head. "No. We want to do this as quickly as we can. Every day makes this world more and more Talpa's."

"She's right," said Cye, sounding rather dejected. "The less power he gets before we get to him, the better. We're just gonna have to get through the pass, fight our way in, and hope for the best. With luck we can lose ourselves once we get into the valley. It's huge, like a city itself, and plenty of places for cover."

"Yeah, it's a city, all right," muttered Xander. "Like Sodom and Gomorrah." That seemed to tickle Amaya, because she burst into a quickly muffled bout of giggling. Kento looked at Xan in something like wonder; he hadn't struck Kento as the religious sort.

"Hey," said Xander, laughing a little himself. "I was brought up as a Catholic, even though I don't consider myself one now. I know all the fire and brimstone stories."

Kento shook his head. "You're interesting, for sure."

"Beats being boring."

"I guess it does." Kento sighed, and they trekked on.

At noon on the fourth day, the five of them crouched behind one of the soldier barracks, listening to a nearby patrol of the soldiers pass close by, and looking up at the cliffs above. The mountains surrounding Talpa's palace were insanely high. They jutted out of the ground like huge obelisks, with no foothills, no gradual ascent. Kento wasn't sure if they were made things, or if they were a natural feature of the Nether World. It could easily be both. He still wished they could find some other way over, other than this miserable, little passageway where they could so easily be ambushed!

"Joy," sighed Xander. "Guess this is it."


	33. United We Stand

CHAPTER 33: United We Stand

Both Xan's declaration and their arrival seemed anti-climactic. There were no soldiers nearby, and the warlords hadn't shown their faces the entire day. Kento could barely see the opening of the passageway he and Cye had used to escape through, and it did not seem to be guarded at all, much less as heavily as he'd predicted. He thought of having Amaya see if she could feel where the warlords were, but decided not to. She said it was extremely difficult to find the warlords' directions, and she had to do it person by person. It made sense it would be easier to sense her closest friends than her dire enemies, but it was inconvenient, and he didn't think she should be distracted before a potential battle.

"Should we armor up?" asked Tarun.

"We might get jumped on by five hundred Dynasty soldiers the second we step into that passageway," said Xander mildly, gazing upwards. "What do you think?"

Tarun shot Xander a dirty look and closed his eyes, concentrating on summoning his armor without crying out its name. Calling it was the quickest and easiest way, but unfortunately it attracted attention. Kento had noticed that Xan got a lot more short-tempered and sarcastic when he was tense, especially before a battle, like Rowen, and even more like Sage. Kento was used to it, and apparently Tarun was, too.

Once Amaya and Xander had armored up, Kento sighed. "Let's start climbing."

The climb was not a difficult one; it was less rough than the rocks Tarun had climbed on all during their journey. Tarun got there first, peering cautiously up over the bottom of the tunnel.

Well? Kento asked.

Tarun shrugged. Nothing. He pulled himself up, a little awkwardly because of the armor, and took his sling from its pouch. Nothing seemed to be attacking him, though, and Kento pulled himself up next. (It wasn't easy to climb while holding two katana. He had no place to store them without cutting the hell out of his back.) Once everyone was in the tunnel and no attack had yet come, Kento wasn't sure whether to be relieved or suspicious.

"It's too quiet in here," Xander said softly.

"Just like in the movies, hm?" asked Cye.

"Yeah, some of the antique ones had that phrase in it a lot, didn't it?"

Kento blinked; he had never heard the phrase "antique movie" before, not even as an adult. But he had died nearly fifty years before. It still hurt his head to think about it and wondered how the warlords could stand living for hundreds of years. It was different being a spirit than being a human. At least as spirits they had the option of reincarnating.

The five of them carefully traversed the mountain tunnel, which twisted and turned a few times, but was easy enough to navigate. A dull light marked the end of the tunnel, and they all walked out to peer down at the sight that greeted them.

"Ew, yuck," Tarun whispered, shivering next to Kento as he gazed at the malignant pagoda sticking out of the ground like some kind of growth. He was looking at it with a mix of awe and revulsion. "It's kinda cool."

Xan gently smacked a hand against his own forehead, and Cye gave Tarun a strange look. "You never saw the palace before this?" asked Kento quietly. He didn't question the "cool" comment. He privately thought it looked kinda cool, too. From a distance.

Tarun shook his head. "No. Me and Demetrius and Killian got captured and were inside. We saw the outside only a little bit when we got possessed. But not much. And I didn't notice anything. I was too mad and trying to fight the spirit."

"So we're just gonna charge in there are we?" asked Cye.

"I think so," said Amaya. "If we're ambushed, we're ready for battle. And if not, we might be able to slip inside."

"We've got some cojones doing this, that's for sure," said Xander with a grin, shaking his head.

Kento laughed, clapping Xan briefly on the shoulder. "You kidding?" he said. "We've got balls that clank."

"That's a new one," whispered Cye.

"Okay," said Kento. "Let's get this over with."

He didn't know about the others, but Kento half-expected to be struck by a bolt of lightning...literally, in fact...the moment he stepped out onto the jutting outlook that opened onto Talpa's valley. But he wasn't. In fact they were not attacked as they climbed down to ground level, or as they looked at the maze of barracks, trees, shallow lakes, and other obstacles that spread out before them. "I don't get it," said Cye.

"Yeah, me too," said Xan. "Either he doesn't care that we're here or he doesn't know. Maybe they really didn't expect us to get this far."

"It doesn't make sense," said Kento, scowling suspiciously. Usually Talpa was not so careless.

A sudden rumbling behind them made the all jump, and Kento was alarmed to see the mountain was beginning to crumble; he saw at once only the top half was shaking, but it was enough to be a major threat to them! "Move!" he cried, giving Cye a shove and putting himself between the others and the mountain. "Get out of range!" Kento grunted as a large rock hit him squarely between the shoulder blades, but it didn't hurt him as much as it would have hurt Cye, or anyone else unprotected by armor.

The five of them ran, dodging rocks and slipping on smaller stones. The rockslide wasn't huge, and Kento was able to keep the worst of it from hurting his friends, sustained very little damage himself from the slide. Even now, his relationship with the earth and stone was strong. Tarun was able to easily outrun it and he stood several meters away, watching anxiously as the ground suddenly stilled, and the five of them looked up at the now-impassible tunnel numbly.

"It makes a little more sense now," said Cye grimly.

It certainly did. Talpa wasn't being overly careless, he was being cautious, something that was also unexpected of the demon lord. Instead of sending his warlords out to destroy them right away, he had waited until they were within the closed valley, then cut off their only escape route.

"I think we will have company soon," said Amaya. "We should be gone from here quickly."

No one argued; they got, and fast.

When they still hadn't been ambushed a half hour later, Kento was beginning to wonder. He lagged at the back of the group as they splashed across water and dodged among the barracks. He finally caught up to the others and said, "Tarun, you said you were possessed by a Nether Spirit...didn't you?"

A look of disgust came over the child's face. "Yeah. Why?"

"Was anyone else?"

"Yes, Killian and Demetrius. We were the only ones that got captured."

"What...what happened while you were possessed?"

Tarun bit his lip, and Kento saw sympathy cross the faces of Amaya and Xander. Tarun suddenly scowled angrily. "They made us fight Nohano and the others when they came to rescue us!" he finally said, his scowl darkening. "Those jerks!"

"That must have been pretty awful," said Cye softly.

"It was! I felt horrible! And Killian even thought he killed Nohano, who's his best friend in the world. I was all mad!"

Kento didn't blame him. If he'd been forced to fight his friends with intent to kill, he'd be pretty pissed, too. But it presented an added risk to this whole mission. "Well be ready, guys," said Kento. "He might pull that again." And the odds would be even worse, because there were eight of them in there, including Ryo, Sage, and Rowen. Kento didn't know if his friends could be possessed, being spirit, and not in a mortal body, but if anyone could manage it, Talpa could.

"Oh, man," groaned Xander. "And we can't just...kill them! We'll have to try and knock 'em out or something. Damn Talpa!"

They had just walked out onto some kind of smooth stone when a sudden call to arms in Japanese made them all look up in shock. Above them, on a high barracks building, stood Kale, grinning down at them through his mask. "Shit," Cye hissed, "we're about to have company!"

And boy, was he right. First arrived Sekhmet and Dais at Kale's side, looking as fierce and intimidating as ever in full armor. Kento considered suggesting they all try to run, but the warlords knew this place backwards and forwards, and he doubted that running would do any good. Tarun might manage it, but none of them could do much alone so it didn't really matter much.

A sort of fierce calm came over Kento then...it didn't seem a possible emotion to have, but it happened every time he went into battle, and it was familiar to him. The fear was pushed to the back of his mind, his battle training came to the forefront. The savage glee of fighting evil spread over him, fueled by the adrenaline that made his heart beat faster and his head buzz. He grinned back at Kale. "Bring it on, kisama oni!"

Kale snarled as the lower-ranking warlords began showing up, sending up bright flashes of lightning all around them. "You've run your graceless mouth once too many, Kongou no Shuu! Like an insolent brat who needs his manners beaten into him!"

"Ha!" called Xander in Kento's defense. "Even unarmored, he could kick your ass!"

"Yeah!" agreed Tarun and Cye at the same time.

Kale waste no more words, but leapt among them, and they all had to scatter to avoid being landed on. Very quickly it all degenerated into a mass of whirling forms, dark armor, and clashing, exploding weapons. Kento quickly lost track of most of the others, staying close by Xander's side; it had been agreed beforehand that Cye and Kento, if al all possible, would fight alongside someone with armor. No matter how good they were at fighting; without armor, they were vulnerable to attacks that the others could take with little injury.

The fight was fiercer yet than any they'd fought in the past weeks. The warlords were on their home territory, and no matter how ready Kento and the other Ronin were for the battle, they were outnumbered two to one. Kale's nodachi whirled through them, striking armor, clashing against Amaya's nunchaku or Kento's katana. He heard a cry of pain and then a furious battle cry from Cye, and a quick mental check reassured him that Torrent wasn't badly hurt. Just angry.

Movement caught his attention from above, and Kento groaned on seeing a large group of Nether Spirits floating through the air towards them. 'We're sunk!' But even as he thought this, a sixth figure joined them. Anubis, carrying the Ancient's staff, his red hair flying back behind him as he charged, began blasting the Nether Spirits away from the battlegrounds. Kento cheered, then yelled in pain as a katana bit into his shoulder. He snarled, whirling with his own katana and blocking a second attack from Jin Tanaka.

"You must summon Kikoutei!" Anubis yelled, surrounded by the angry Nether Spirits and fending them off with the Ancient's staff. Kento could see they were draining his strength, but Anubis was strong, and he was driving them off in droves.

"How?" Kento called, lunging at Jin Tanaka with both katana, "Ryo's not here! Neither is Nohano!"

"You need purity only! 'Kikoutei' means 'sun armor!' Daybreak will harmonize most closely with it; after sheer virtue, he is purest!"

Kento blinked and stared at Tarun, who was fighting some meters away. Having heard, the kid stopped short to stare. "Me?" he cried in astonishment, staring at Anubis.

"Look out!" Kento yelled, and Tarun spun around only just in time to avoid Tai Shuang's heavy, chained weight. It whizzed by his head and he ducked, sending an energy round back in retaliation. He sprinted a few meters away from the fight, hurling a second round at Cade Taylor, who was aiming at Tarun's head with his crossbow.

"I can't be Kikoutei!" Tarun cried in disbelief. "I'm too little!"

Little doesn't matter! called Kento, laughing in sheer realization. Anubis is right, it's strength of spirit, kid, not of body that fuels Kikoutei!

B-but how do I do it?

The kid was scared, and Kento didn't blame him. He'd be scared, too, if he had to bear the Kikoutei armor, especially if to was just sprung on him like that. But Ryo had once said that you don't really have time to stop and think about fear when you bore Kikoutei, and that seemed to be how Tarun was most of the time anyway. He didn't stop to think about the fear, he just...acted.

You'll know, came Cye's calm voice. You'll know, Tarun—it'll be like having about a hundred cans of your Mountain Dew Ultra! You'll probably like it—get ready!

Kento felt a thin thread of panic from Tarun, but he also felt a sort of exhilaration at the idea of wearing the Inferno armor. He realized something, then, that if Kikoutei was formed by spirit, not armor, then he and Cye should be able to lend their strength, too—for that matter, if Ryo and the others had been possessed, drawing them into Kikoutei too should drive out the Nether Spirits!

Cye, you and I, too! Kento called. The more people the more power! He felt Xan and Amaya begin to pour their energy in, saw the protective, bright shields of their armor. Hoping the kid could handle it, Kento ducked within Xan's protective shield and closed his eyes, seeking the Hardrock spirit within him to join the growing Kikoutei.

--

In the purification chamber of Talpa's palace, eight captive youths sat wearily in the energy-charged water. Every one of them had lost track of the days, each day melting into the next until it was just all one continuous drone of time. Most of them could barely summon the energy to speak, much less stand up. They only shifted around so that some of them could sleep, while the others kept them out of the water. None of them got more than three hours' sleep at a time, inevitably wakened by the searing power drain of the Nether Spirits.

Nohano was beginning to feel their effects. He was beginning to feel the dark energy, energy that fought horrible with his own bright spirit. He'd felt it and seen it in the others two, a helpless kind of taint, and it hurt them. But Nohano knew it was trying to change them, too. Change them so that it wasn't hurting their spirit any more, but harmonizing with it...in other words make them as evil as the Nether Spirits themselves were.

Ryo and the others had endured this for weeks. And they still fought the taint. But what happened if the others failed? What happened if they were killed or brought here? Would they all become like the warlords?

Ryo had told Nohano the story of how the Nether Spirits had come to be, and he'd been utterly horrified. Ryo said that the part of their spirits that connected with the armor ensured that they could not become Nether Spirits, but that didn't protect them from being twisted and brainwashed like the warlords had. It was small comfort, though. It meant they weren't being subjected to constant torture in the towers, but if the others failed...Nohano didn't think that they'd be much better off. And it was damned hard to keep hoping.

Nohano was asleep when the first flickers came through the mind link. He sat bolt upright, startling the hell out of Killian, who he'd been slumped against. "What's wrong?" Killian asked, rubbing his eyes. The injuries he'd taken before were mostly healed, though the bruises were still colorful, and dark circles ringed his eyes.

"Didn't you—hold on, there it is! They're close!" Nohano laughed, though his voice was weak and strained.

The other captives had been roused by this point, looking interested despite their fatigue. Demetrius frowned, concentrated for a moment, and his eyes widened. They are close to the palace, he said through mind speak, perhaps not wanting the spirits above to hear him. Kento is with them! In their time in the horrid chamber, they'd managed to link everyone through the link, and Nohano felt Ryo's sudden hope on hearing the news.

Ryo smiled for the first time in days, a simple gesture that seemed to life Nohano's spirits yet more. "Fantastic," he murmured

Nohano listened carefully through the mind link, trying to discern what the rescue team was doing, and where they were. His morale had bettered tenfold, just feeling their presence, and he hadn't realized how horribly he had missed his friends. "They're fighting Kale again," he said, frowning.

"If only we had our armor," Rashida growled, clenching a fist. "I hate to sit helpless here while our friends fight!"

"I know how that feels," said Sage grimly, no doubt remembering his own imprisonment when he fought as a Ronin. "We'll find a way to help. We've got to. Or else we might all lose this war."

Nohano never found out if what happened then happened because of Sage's declaration or not, but he was grateful that it had. The Nether spirits suddenly left the chamber all at once, as if responding to some dark summons. Nohano exchanged puzzled glances with the others; not that he wasn't ecstatic to see them go, but why?

The sudden appearance of a tall man with red hair startled everyone, and Nohano only barely kept from yelling in surprise. The man looked vaguely familiar to Nohano, but what really puzzled him was that Ryo, Sage, Rowen, and Yasuo all seemed to recognize him immediately. Ryo stood up, sudden hope in his expression. "Anubis!"

Nohano stared. So this was Anubis, the one who had once been a warlord himself! Yasuo's own ancestor! But how?

"You must unite," said Anubis urgently. "Your friends fight well, but they are outnumbered. I can hold back the Nether Spirits, but Talpa himself will certainly join the battle."

"We don't have our armor!" Nohano exclaimed, adrenaline and his worry for the others making him forget his exhaustion. "Talpa tore it from us when he did his stupid ritual!"

"You don't need it," said Anubis. "I haven't time to explain, but not all of your powers come from the armor. Daybreak will bear Kikoutei, and you need only to lend the strength of your spirit. I will seek out the armor orbs, and then I must seek out Badamon." He turned to face Sage, Ryo, and Rowen, adding, "He is the one who brought you here."

"We know," said Sage, his eyes narrowed. "Talpa made sure to get in a good, long gloat about it."

"I hope you kick his ass, Anubis," said Rowen vehemently. "I'd pay money to see that!"

Anubis smiled faintly, but his shook his head. "I imagine you might be able to break the seal on the door, but as you have no armor to shield you while you unite, it may be safer to remain in here. Cye and Kento are within the protection of the others' armor outside."

"All right," said Ryo tensely, taking a big breath. "We'll do what we can. Be careful."

Anubis gave a sort of nod- bow and quickly left, to find Badamon, Nohano assumed. Nohano turned to Ryo, who looked ready for action, but Nohano felt completely lost. "How do I do it?" he asked, unwittingly echoing Tarun's own question. "I don't know how to do the Kikoutei thing. I only did it once, and I was the one who had the armor!

"It's no problem," said Rowen. He still looked exhausted and demoralized, just like everyone else, but there was a gleam in his eyes at the idea of actually doing something. "It's kinda like using the mind link. Just gather your strength, as if you're calling your armor without using words. Then send it through the link. It doesn't actually go through the mind link, but that's enough to get it going in the right direction."

"Once you concentrate," said Rashida, "it's almost instinctive." She blinked, startled, on seeing a faint blue glow around Suisei; Nohano wasn't surprised he had already acted; he was Tarun's guardian, and he wasn't about to sit around chatting when Tarun needed help.

"I've never contributed before, either," said Ryo. "But we can do it. Come on."

"All right..." Nohano took a big breath, closed his eyes, and tried to push back his exhaustion and his fears. He tried to push back the whole awful span of days he'd been a prisoner. He concentrated on Tarun's bright mind, smiling a little at its manic energy. Finding the fierce burn of Wildfire in himself wasn't easy, but it was there, as it always had been. He felt its warmth, its light, and sent it out.


	34. Daybreak and Kikoutei

CHAPTER 34: Daybreak and Kikoutei

Tarun's thoughts raced by so fast he could grasp none of them. He was not even retaliating so much as avoiding the warlords' attacks, not able to think clearly enough to use any kind of strategy. He heard the young one, Cade, call out that they were going to form the Inferno armor on Tarun's Daybreak armor, and heard Kale cuss in Japanese. He called out something then, and Tarun was horrified to see half the warlords seek him out with their eyes and lunge at him. He sprinted several meters away then stumbled, shocked at the first wave of energy.

It was dark, but not like Kale's, and he realized with astonishment that it was coming from Amaya! Then Xan and Kento joined in. A sudden surge of power went through him, and it was just as Cye had said—an uber caffeine rush! He laughed in sudden exhilaration, feeling Cye's familiar-unfamiliar Torrent energy join in, and he ducked a sudden lunge-attack from Sekhmet.

The wind gusted around Tarun, and he yelled happily to feel Suisei's familiar energy joining the bright swirl of color in Tarun's mind, and he felt something suddenly change. His armor became heavier, but it was not difficult to bear. A strange mask, one that left only his mouth and eyes unshielded, suddenly covered his face. He suddenly felt as if he couldn't stand still any longer, or he'd explode—maybe for real!

One by one, the other Ronin added the strength, their power to Tarun's armor, armor that Tarun could see had turned brilliant white, like a hot star. He laughed, running at the warlords, reaching for his sling, and was startled for just a moment when it wasn't there. My weapon!

Kento's voice, strained with concentration— Kuso! I forgot—Tarun they're katana! Katana, like...like Nohano has! They're behind your head, grab them!

Katana! But Tarun didn't know how to use katana! He balled his hand into a fist, smashing it into Cade Taylor's face, barely feeling the crossbow bolt the young warlord got into Tarun's side. Cade's head snapped back and he sprawled backwards, and Tarun stared at him. He, Tarun, had done that?

Shaking his head, Tarun reached behind him, his gauntlets striking something tall and slim. He grabbed it with one hand and pulled out a katana that was nearly as tall as he was. He'd never be able to handle two of them at a time, but he'd had a few lessons with Amaya—he could just use one of the swords!

The warlords were converging on him now, the only target left available to strike at, the others were covered with colored dome-shields. Tarun was astonished to feel no fear, in fact it was just like Nohano said after donning Kikoutei; he couldn't stop to think, not even for a minute. But it was different. Nohano had felt intense, white-hot burning energy, and Tarun's was not like that. His was bright, and always in motion. He couldn't stand still, not even for a second, or it built up too much within him.

Laughing with sheer, giddy exhilaration, Tarun darted away from the warlords, swinging the long katana at them, hitting some and missing others. He growled when Sekhmet hit him with one of his vile katana, and Tarun felt a wash of water cleanse the venom. He swung around with the katana, striking Sekhmet across the thighs, felling him to his knees with a cry of pain. Tarun stared for just a second, shock, before he spun again, blocking Tai Shuang's chain-weight. He turned again, gasping in shocked fear, as a woman's face loomed over him, a woman wielding two katana. His terror of Jin Tanaka was there, and Tarun could feel it. Some place in his brain was telling him to run, to get away from her, that he should be terrified. And somewhere in his brain he was. But he felt way too gleeful to pay it any mind! Kikoutei was completely overwhelming his mind, not allowing any thought to remain for more than a second or two.

His hesitation cost him, but he didn't care. Her katana struck him in the head, his helmet and mask taking the brunt of the blow, shaking him badly enough that he nearly fell over. He swung his own katana like a baseball bat, hitting her in the stomach, sending her flying several meters away. He gaped for only a moment before letting a savage cheer and sprinting after her as she got up. Fury began to fuel the unformed energy, focusing all of it at the moment onto the woman who'd tortured him for three days straight.

She fought as bravely as any of the Ronin had ever fought, but against the combined power of the armors, she was almost powerless. She fell beneath the furious, wild swings of the katana, her own blades flying from her hands.

Tarun might have killed her then, if he hadn't been knocked onto his stomach from behind. Someone burly and strong had tackled him to the ground and he spun around, bringing up his fist to strike at the bear-like mask of Tai Shuang, snapping his head back and shifting his weight. The boy kicked up, freeing himself from Shuang's grip and lurching to his feet.

Tarun was no taller than he ever was, but he still felt taller. He felt as tall as an adult, even as tall as the warlords themselves! And the power that came from the armor astonished even him. Half of the warlords lay unconscious on the ground, and the others had retreated, regrouping to face him. Tarun shook, not with fear or exertion, but the perpetual, kinetic energy of a power transformer, bouncing on his heels as he confronted them. "Surrender!" Tarun called gleefully.

Kale made some kind of furious gesture. Having the distinct feeling he'd been flipped off in Japanese, Tarun snickered, which seemed to infuriate Kale, who snarled something in Japanese.

Tarun knew only a few words in Japanese from Suisei and Kale's version was ancient, but there were several people sharing his mind then who did know the language, and Tarun understood. Kale would never surrender to him or to anyone else, and if it wasn't for the armor Tarun wore, he'd be dead then, or back under Jin Tanaka's knife. Normally Tarun might have been intimidated, but now he was just mad.

But what now? His basest instinct was to attack them, but he didn't know what he should do. The warlords weren't attacking him! Should he attack them?

Kale answered the question for him. "You fight just fine against those who don't have the advantage of such powerful armor, little one," he sneered. "But I shall enjoy seeing you die at my master Talpa's sword!"

Tarun blinked, even his great, uncontrollable joy distracted by the shadow that suddenly loomed over him. He sprinted away, startled, and turned back to see Talpa standing there in full armor, his own weapons in his hands, long, straight, ancient-looking swords. He looked taller than Tarun remembered him being, a great, powerful warrior, covered in iron-gray armor. His blood-red mask seemed to sneer, even though it didn't move, and Tarun felt a chilly jolt of fear. "Fight me, little Daybreak," said Talpa, laughing derisively. "I may even spare your life just long enough to see your friends die."

It occurred to Tarun then, that he could die. He could die for real, at Talpa's hands. The thought scared him for a moment, but the moment was quick. Death was something that might happen in the future—Tarun was finding it almost impossible to concentrate on anything but what was happening that very second.

He could stare no longer; the power was building up, blotting out everything else in all its intensity; he had to move, now! He didn't have room for the fear that was trying to break through, so he surrendered to his instinct, gripping his katana with two hands and sprinting at Talpa, who laughed and raised his blade...

--

In the purification chamber, Nohano crouched in the water with the others, adding their spirits' energy to the Kikoutei armor outside. Nohano was fascinated at how it felt to be a part of Kikoutei, without the very great distraction of actually bearing it. He felt all the other Ronin Warriors' energy, too, but it wasn't being channeled through him like it had when he wore Kikoutei himself. It was an incredibly comforting and strange sensation, but a wearying one, too! He could feel Tarun's frantic, high-speed energy spiraled up into something that was like a holo-video on fast forward.

"Nohano!" Nohano blinked at the sudden voice beside him, his attention divided between Kikoutei and the hazy-looking form of Anubis, who had returned to the purification chamber...and he had Nohano's armor orb! Slowly reaching out, Nohano grasped it, and felt the almost immediate reconnection of its Wildfire spirit to his own. He also felt a deep malaise, a taint—what had they done to it?

Nohano! called Ryo urgently through the link. Break off from Kikoutei! It's too much energy, it's making the kid reckless!

Nohano frowned worriedly. What do you mean?

Ryo's faintly glowing form turned to face Nohano. When you and I wear Kikoutei, it becomes Inferno. It's just a superlative of our normal armor, our normal personalities. But Tarun's got it now, it's not Inferno. I dunno what the hell it is, but it's—he can't even stand still for a moment. The energy from his armor's making him act without thinking at all, and it's affecting how he fights! His armor bears Kikoutei differently! We're pouring too much power into it, some of us have got to withdraw, and since you guys have your armor, you're better off going to help with the fight!

Nohano's eyes widened as he suddenly understood what Ryo meant, and slowly began to pull back from the swirling chaos. He felt shaky and dazed, still gripping his armor orb. Guys! he called to his friends, who still glowed faintly. Anubis stood nearby, still holding the orbs for Halo, Strata, Hardrock, Loyalty, and Torrent. Break off from Kikoutei, slowly!

Yasuo broke off first, probably understanding already why Nohano had given the order. From the others he felt astonishment and a sudden, mutinous feeling from Suisei, and he quickly explained to them what Ryo had told him. Once they understood, Rashida, Demetrius, and Killian all broke out of the link, but it was clear that Suisei did not want to. Everything in his spirit must be rising up against leaving Tarun without his support.

Rowen's voice came in then, focused on Suisei, though Nohano could still hear him. Go ahead, my friend, he said softly. You have your armor, now, you can go and fight by his side instead of staying here!

That did it! Suisei stopped glowing, realizing that Anubis was standing next to him, urgently holding out the inochi orb, and he took it with quiet thanks.

"I could use backup, as I confront Badamon," said Anubis quietly, giving the others their spheres as well. "If perhaps some of you can assist me, the others can go out and help young Tarun in the battle."

"I will go with you," said Yasuo immediately, donning his dark riot gear, then quietly calling his strange armor. Even in his distraction, Ryo looked over at Yasuo, and Nohano thought it had to be very weird to see someone bearing that armor again.

"Okay," said Nohano, looking over his group. "Rashida, your Halo should be a lot of help against the damned spirits, go with Anubis." She nodded. "Demetrius, go with Suisei outside—be ready to back Tarun up if you need to. If his energy flags, both you rejoin the Kikoutei. But only if it flags!" He fleetingly wondered if it was possible for Tarun to run out of energy, but he supposed it was.

Nohano looked at Killian, biting his lip; he did not want to separate from him, but Killian's cleansing, purifying energy was going to be best used against the tainted Nether spirits, and Nohano was far better in out-and-out combat.

He didn't have to say anything; Killian knew what he was thinking. You be careful, mate, he said, hugging Nohano briefly, then donning Torrent.

You too. Nohano took a big breath, then blinked on seeing Suisei was already heading for the door. Demetrius stepped in front of him, using his great strength to bash open the doors. Looking once more at his friends, Nohano ran after them. 'I hope they'll be okay. All of them.'

--

The fight was not right outside Talpa's palace, though the cheers, cries, and shouts from the battle made it pretty easy to locate it. Nohano had donned his armor, and was revolted to feel the Nether Realm's influence within its spirit—he didn't know what Talpa had done to it, but he could feel his own bright jin fighting to drive out the taint. But even the Nether Realm's presence within the armor couldn't dim the joy he felt at being reconnected with rekka's spirit. The separation had left him feeling empty and almost abandoned.

Trying to ignore it, trying not to let it distract him from the fight, Nohano ran alongside Demetrius and Suisei, both of whom had also donned their armor. Suisei looked furious and determined, and Demetrius's normally calm expression was grim and intense. Nohano felt exhaustion tugging at him; his armor would only be able to energize him for so long, he knew that. It scared him, but he pushed that to the back of his mind, too, drawing his katana and trying to prepare himself for the fight.

When the three of them burst out from the maze of barracks, they froze for just a moment to take in the scene before them. Nohano blinked, taken aback by what he could only assume was Kikoutei, gleaming pure white in the gloom. The armor looked a lot like Wildfire in shape from the shoulders down, though it was smaller to conform to Tarun's small frame. But the helmet—the helmet had white spikes rising up behind it, like a sun mask from some ancient tribe. Angular cheek guards covered both sides of Tarun's face, while a mask covered everything but his eyes and mouth. Nohano hadn't exactly gotten a chance to look at himself when he'd worn Kikotei, even if he'd been in the right frame of mind to want to look in a mirror. It was strange looking, but it was cool!

The entire group was out on a slab of smooth stone, warlords and Ronin both. And that wasn't all. Tarun was fighting Talpa himself, as Anubis said would happen, and to Nohano's surprise, Tarun had a katana in his hand, the other still on his back. "The Soul Swords," Nohano murmured, remembering the name Ryo had use in one of their many conversations since September. It was clear Tarun had little experience with a sword, his movements very awkward and unlearned, but the kid was doing great all the same! He darted around with the speed of his Daybreak armor, each strike of the katana he wielded flashing with bright, white, dazzling power.

The warlords were attacking, too, when they were able to land a strike on the swift child, and Nohano snarled in rage at seeing the kid getting ganged up on. Did none of them know how to fight fair? Three domes of color dotted the slab, and Nohano remembered that's what the other Ronin looked like when uniting for Kikoutei; the domes were protective shields. When he squinted, he could make out the forms of Kento and Cye, also glowing, crouching within the protective spheres.

Suisei sprinted for the group, his exhaustion seemingly gone in a wash of adrenaline, pulling his longbow from his back. Nohano and Demetrius exchanged a brief glance then ran after him. Demetrius pulled out his naganata, and Nohano gripped his katana.

Suisei leapt into the air, startling Nohano for a moment, and began raining down arrows on the attacking warlords. They cried out in surprise, those with distance weapons directing their attacks upwards. Demetrius charged in, swinging his naganata, and Nohano's eyes narrowed on seeing Kale aiming his nodachi upwards, about to call a lightning attack on Suisei.

Pure rage overcame Nohano then on seeing Kale, who'd been his tormentor for several days. He raised his own sword high above his head, snarling out, "Flare up NOW!"

Kale turned, distracted from his attack, his eyes widening in surprise, as the red-hot, searing blaze of power hit him. Kale grunted, thrown several meters away, landing on the stone. Demetrius barreled past Nohano, launching himself at Tai Shuang, and the two of them went down in a clatter of armor and furious growls.

Nohano's rage only increase on seeing Shuang, but he still had Kale to deal with. Kale was back on his feet, running at Nohano, who brought his katana up to meet Kale's nodachi. A snarl of anger or concentration—maybe both—twisted Kale's face. Nohano stepped swiftly aside, letting Kale's own force carry him past. Kale turned too quickly for Nohano to strike his back, but he got a glancing blow on the warlord's side.

Nohano was exhausted and weakened, but his anger gave him strength. All he had to do to was to remember how Kale had frozen the chamber Nohano was imprisoned in, purely for spite, or how he'd ordered Shuang to break Nohano's legs. Kale was fatigued, too, but he did not have the advantage of Nohano's explosive temper.

A blow that was half luck and half skill took Kale down, a furious kick at the warlord's face mask, sending his unconscious body sprawling on the stone. Nohano turned away from Kale, his eyes settling on Demetrius and Shuang, who both fought on the ground, their weapons forgotten beside them. Another surge of fury urged him into a sprint, leaping up into the air and bringing his outstretched foot down into Shuang's side as he landed, heel-first. Shuang flew off of Demetrius and landed in a stunned heap; as he began to rise, Demetrius grabbed his naganata, unleashing an Iron Rock Crusher attack that laid the Chinese warlord out flat, unmoving. Demetrius and Nohano exchanged a brief hand clasp before jumping back into the battle, but there was not much left to do.

The warlords were already hurt and tired. They had already fought Amaya, Kento, Cye, and Xander, and then faced Kikoutei, which at the time had the power of over a dozen armors behind it. Some of the warlords had already been knocked out cold when Nohano and the others arrived, and it did not take long to render the rest the same way.

The battle was starting to take its toll after the abuse Nohano suffered; he stopped to rest, staggering a little, letting Demetrius catch and steady him, leaning on Nohano almost as much as Nohano was leaning on him. Suisei landed hard nearby, nearly falling to his knees, and Nohano was alarmed for a moment to realize that Strata had almost run out of energy while he was up in the air. He swayed a little on his feet, but stayed standing up.

Nohano turned his attention back to Tarun's battle.

The boy had taken some injuries, that was apparent, but as of yet hadn't taken any serious wounds. Nohano winced as one of Talpa's long blades crashed alongside Tarun's helmet, staggering him, then yelled jubilantly when Tarun retaliated with a double-handed strike of the Soul Sword into Talpa's midsection, doubling the emperor over. Tarun yanked the katana free, bringing it up and crashing it down on Talpa's head. Talpa did not fall, but he staggered, spinning around to attack again.

It was almost hypnotizing, watching the battle, hearing the clang of metal on metal, hearing Talpa's snarling, furious voice, and Tarun's gleeful, childish voice, almost sounding half-crazed as he fought. Nohano could barely feel Tarun in the mind link, realizing that Tarun's mind couldn't possibly focus enough to use it at the moment. He could only imagine how frenzied his mind must have been with five more armors behind it! He understood better now why Ryo had told him to back off.

"I want to help him," said Suisei shakily, "but I-I think I overexerted myself. I can barely stay standing. I think my armor's about out of power." His expression was anxious, almost horrified, as he watched Tarun fight.

"Save your strength for now," said Demetrius, putting a hand on Suisei's arm. "Rest, gain a little strength back. Feel the wind."

"That's a good idea," said Nohano quietly. "We all should do that. Then we'll be in a better position to help Tarun if he gets into trouble."

Suisei didn't answer, except to nod, and he did not take his gaze away from the fight.


	35. Battle of Spirits

CHAPTER 35: Battle of Spirits

Within Talpa's palace, Killian ran through the hallways, his boots clattering against the stone below him, and hoping that there was no one still around to hear them and decide to do something about the invaders. Rashida and Yasuo ran at his side, also clad in armor, though Yasuo's was totally alien to Killian. It was true that his looked far more like it belonged with the warlords, not the Ronin, and why not? It had once belonged to a warlord, and aligned with the seasons, as theirs did. He did not distrust Yasuo in any way, but it was still a little spooky.

Anubis led the way, running on the surface of the stone, but making no noise at all...of course he wouldn't make noise. He was a spirit. Killian still couldn't get over it—he hadn't ever met a ghost before...though he supposed he wasn't exactly a ghost. Ghosts haunted places and were stuck in the mortal realm. At least that's how he thought of ghosts.

No one said a word. Killian didn't know about anyone else, but he was pretty nervous. After the ordeal they'd all gone through, everyone was already nearly on the brink of collapse, and even with the surge of energy Torrent gave him, and the water he'd spent so much time in, Killian was still tired. He could only imagine how fatigued Yasuo and Rashida must be. Though...he supposed that Rashida could have gotten some energy from the toxic glow back in the chamber. Not as good as sunlight, but better than nothing. He didn't know what season Yasuo's armor aligned with...he vowed to ask later.

Bits and pieces of the fight raging outside came through the link, though not nearly enough for Killian to make much sense out of them, and he wasn't about to try and ask, not when he might break someone's concentration in the middle of a battle. They were all still alive, he could tell that, and that's all he cared about just then.

The corridors were empty and dark, lit only by the creepy candles Talpa seemed to like to strew all over the place. It was as if he abhorred anything that gave off too much light. Even the sky outside was dark all the time. Killian wondered about that, why evil and dark always seemed to go hand in hand. Darkness did not always mean evil. 'Just ask Amaya,' he thought with wry amusement.

Anubis seemed to know exactly where he was going. 'Well of course he does,' thought Killian a moment later, following the spirit through endless corridors. 'He only lived here for a few hundred years.' Cye had said that they had destroyed Talpa's palace before, in their own fights, but that this one seemed to be an exact replica. "Not that we got the grand tour, mind you," he'd said with a laugh. Killian chuckled, too, remembering it, earning a bit of a strange look from Rashida. He could only imagine what a guided tour of Talpa's palace would look and sound like.

When Anubis suddenly came to a closed door along one of the many dark hallways, he suddenly stopped, motioning for the others to stop as well. Killian did, standing beside Rashida, feeling her nervousness through the mind link. Killian was nervous, too. It'll be all right, he sent softly through the link. Let's kick some Nether Spirit arse.

Rashida laughed softly and grasped Killian's hand briefly. Yasuo, who had been drawn into their mind link as well over the past week, gave Killian a reassuring glance. It was strange to have Yasuo there fighting alongside him. He was an adult, far older than Suisei, but Killian had no doubt he could kick some major butt when he fought. More than Killian could at any rate!

Anubis turned to them then, and it struck Killian how alike he and Yasuo looked. "Behind here," he said quietly. "Be ready. I will deal with Badamon. You three must keep the Nether Spirits away as best you can. The more power I can focus on Badamon, the better."

"We will do our part," said Yasuo proudly, smiling at his ancestor. Anubis returned the smile before stepping back from the door. Yasuo, understanding that Anubis could not open a physical door, did it for him, using his strange half-scythe/half-bladed-morningstar to bash the door inwards. Killian gripped his yari, as Anubis stepped unhesitatingly inside. Killian followed.

The room was not really a room, but one of the cavern-like chambers that seemed to be all over Talpa's palace. It was filled with dozens of Nether Spirits, and Killian realized suddenly that this was why they had all left the purification chamber. They were massing here...they knew what was coming! The cavern was glowing a faint, sickly orange.

And in front of them all hovered one spirit, obviously apart from all of the others. As Killian drew a bit closer, squinting his eyes, he could tell he had a moustache, and heavy-lidded eyes. He was small and thin, and Killian wondered why he looked so different from all the other spirits. But as he really began looking at the Nether Spirits, he began to realize they were all different. They were all dressed the same, but their faces were different. Their eyes were blank and haunted, their faces gaunt and wasted. Killian suddenly understood the depth of the atrocity that had been committed to create them. He still feared the creatures, but he also felt suddenly, desperately sorry for them.

"Shuten." Killian's attention was brought back down to the moustaches Nether Spirit as he spoke, and Killian gaped at him. He'd never heard the Nether Spirits speak before! Could they all still speak? Badamon was their leader, then?

"Yes, Badamon," said Anubis calmly.

Badamon smiled, a truly ghastly sight. "I suppose you have come here to destroy me?" He had some kind of odd accent, though it didn't sound Japanese to Killian. He wondered if Badamon had in life been Chinese or some other Oriental race.

"I have, Badamon," said Anubis. "I cannot risk you attacking my friends again, I'm afraid."

Badamon laughed again, and Killian began to wonder if they'd made a large mistake. Could Badamon be destroyed? "You cannot save them, Anubis. Even if you destroy me, they will be stuck here, forever. And your friends, there, behind you, if they fight us, they will be destroyed."

Anubis did not look alarmed at all. I fact if anything, he looked faintly amused. Killian was a little worried, but Anubis seemed to know what he was talking about. The whole "if your friends fight us they'll be destroyed" bit worried him too.

That is not true, said Yasuo, his voice calm and reassuring. Nether Spirits cannot kill a person. They can drain your energy, but even that will not kill you. They cannot take life force.

Okay, that was definitely a relief. But having been on the receiving end of the Nether Spirits' painful energy, it wasn't a whole lot of relief. The things still scared the hell out of him.

Anubis took a step forward, bringing his staff forward to aim towards Badamon. Killian shivered a little at the sound of the rings that chimed against the metal at the top of the staff; the sound was haunting and beautiful at the same time. Rashida smiled at the sound, and Yasuo seemed to find it pleasant as well. Badamon actually flinched, which raised Killian's spirits a bit. Maybe it wasn't as hopeless as it all seemed.

Badamon rose into the air, and Killian took a step back, raising his yari, and getting ready. When Badamon called something in a language Killian couldn't understand, the Nether Spirits shot towards them. Killian let out a yell, ducking the first wave and summoning a quick, rather weak wave-smasher attack. To his surprise, the watery energy drove them back, not like when he had tried it in the purification chamber, when he, Tarun, and Demetrius had been captured and brought there. Was it the chamber, then, that gave them so much extra power? Or was there something in the chamber that shielded them? And what of being possessed? Killian nearly panicked at the thought of being possessed again, and hoped fervently they could not do it outside of thee purification chamber, or that Anubis was somehow shielding them from it.

Anubis raised his staff, a great, bright wave of energy radiating from him and knocking several of the spirits away. But his main target was not the mass of Nether Spirits, but Badamon himself, who stood behind the entire army of spirits, using them as shields.

"Coward!" Killian spat at him, knocking aside a Nether Spirit that was diving at him like a kamikaze.

Things got pretty scary then—Killian could hardly see what he was doing, there were so many spirits attacking him, and he wasn't able to fend them all off. He groaned, clenching his teeth, at a stab of pain from behind, a sudden draining of his strength, and he whirled unleashing his wave attack on the small group that had been draining him. He caught bright flashes of light from Rashida, which seemed to be driving them off.

He was just wondering what special attack Yasuo had, when Yasuo himself cried out, "Kou Rei Sen!" Anubis spun around, his eyes wide and startled, as Yasuo leapt lithely into the air. Killian was a little startled too, as Yasuo yelled for them to look out. Killian and Rashida both leapt backwards as Yasuo plunged the bladed ball and chain part of his weapon into the stone floor. Chains erupted from the ground, shooting up like weeds, cross-crossing across the entire chamber.

"Crikey!" he exclaimed, staring. The chains had entangled at least a third of the spirits, and Killian laughed, ducking beneath a group of them that were trying to dive bomb him. Anubis turned back to his own battle.

Killian didn't see much of Anubis's battle, and they spoke in Japanese, so he didn't understand much of it, either. It was chore enough keeping the Nether Spirits off of Anubis, and keeping them from draining Killian. Yasuo's chains helped a great deal, keeping many of them tangled up for several minutes at the time, where Killian and Rashida could attack with water and light, the two most cleansing elements among the Ronin.

Killian almost felt bad, seeing as how the attacks seemed to be causing them pain. But he saw something else in their faces, something he wasn't sure if anyone else saw. He saw a human soul still there, and hope of somehow being freed from the horrible, twisted existence they led. Killian was not an optimistic about Tarun on being able to save them. But he did know that they were not totally gone. And he hoped fervently that for all the discomfort his cleaning waters and Rashida's purifying light were causing them, that it was somehow helping, too. At least a little.

But Badamon—Killian had the clear intuition that he had been a bad one to begin with. There were evil humans, after all—just look at the warlords. And Killian would have bet Torrent itself that Badamon was one in life. Anubis showed him no mercy. The light from his staff blazed almost constantly, and Killian heard Badamon scream far more often than Anubis did. When he could spare a moment to watch, Anubis's battle stance was fierce and strong, the staff he held unwavering as he attacked. Badamon unleashed dark energy at Anubis, held at bay by the chimes staff. The chimes themselves seemed to hurt Badamon, and even seemed to affect the Nether Spirits when they got near.

It was a battle unlike any Killian had fought in, or seen outside a cinema screen. The spirits weren't even solid, but Killian's yari could touch them, hit them, when they attacked. He didn't know how it was possible, but it was, and he wasn't about to question it just then.

He quickly lost track of time in that chamber, as he fought both spirits and the exhaustion that was creeping up faster and faster. But...he could see they were winning. One by one, the Nether Spirits were fleeing, their glow at a minimum, and Killian understood that they, too, lost energy after a while. With Yasuo's chains catching them and Halo and Torrent attacking, it was not all too long before the chamber was empty...except for Anubis and Badamon.

Trembling, Killian turned, and was alarmed to see Yasuo sway on his feet. Killian and Rashida lunged forward to catch him before he could fall. Yasuo had been through far more than they had, for longer, having been a prisoner for several days before Killian and the others had come in after him. He wasn't unconscious, but could not stand alone; Rashida and Killian draped his arms over their shoulders.

"Thank you," Yasuo murmured.

"Anytime, mate," said Killian, turning his attention to the two fighters.

A battle of spirits, said Rashida, awed, and Killian shivered. It was a battle of spirirts, and it was scary as hell. It wasn't the flash of the staff's energy that was daunting, or the dark beams of light (Killian wondered how light could be dark) that came from Badamon. After being a Ronin for so many months, Killian was used to that kind of thing.

It was the feel. Other people didn't feel things as easily or as deeply as Killian did, but he couldn't understand how they couldn't feel certain things. Killian could feel their very essences in the battle, the fight not only physical to them, but of sheer willpower. He could feel their alienness, and could know that neither of them were human. But he could also feel, almost physical feel, that they once had been human. Even as twisted and mutated as Badamon looked, Killian could still feel lingering humanity. He supposed that nothing could be completely changed from its very core essence.

Both of them were tiring, just as Killian and the others had. Badamon's dark energy became only a thin beam, and Anubis staggered even as he blasted Badamon with his staff. Killian blanked as Yasuo suddenly stood up, raising his strange weapon, and whipping the bladed ball towards Badmon's hovering form. He wasn't aiming for the spirit, though, he was aiming for the floor.

Anubis looked surprised for only a moment as the chains erupted once more, trapping Badamon among them. Badamon looked shocked, as if no one had dared used such an attack on him before. Anubis's eyes widened for just a moment, and he turned to Killian and Rashida. "Together, my friends. On my word!"

A chill went through Killian, and he stood up straight, griping his yari and nodding. He glanced at Rashida, who held her nodachi above her head, and also nodded, looking fiercely determined. Killian didn't think either of them had the power to destroy a spirit. But they could certainly weaken him...while Anubis did what he had to.

"Iza!" Anubis cried.

Killian was slightly surprised at the foreign word, but it was clear it meant "now". "Super Wave Smasher!" he cried, leveling the yari right at Badamon. At the same time, Rashida called her battle cry in Urdu, and blazing light complemented Killian's water-energy.

Badamon shrieked in fury as the attacks hit him, and he writhed, turning his furious gaze on them. 'He's gonna kill us!' was Killian's first though. He might have, too, were it not for Anubis. The brightest flare of all came from him, such that Killian had to squint his eyes. Anubis's attack his Badamon, and the creature writhed, giving a shriek that hurt Killian's ears. Anubis did not break off his attack, as he had before. He was exhausted, collapsing to one knee, and Yasuo clenched his fists, helpless anxiety in his expression.

Killian wondered worriedly if spirits could be killed in any way when it happened. A horrible, deep, low rending sound, like something living being torn, and a high, sustained shriek of fury and pain from Badamon. The sound reached Killian's own soul, and without thinking, he dropped his yari and covered his ears; he saw Rashida had done the same thing. But it didn't matter. Within seconds, Badamon had withered and disappeared, and Killian felt his entire essence wink out.

The three Ronin ran over to Anubis, Killian growling in sheer frustration that he could not help Anubis up. Killian felt shaky, himself, both from the physical exertion of the battle, and what he had witnessed...and felt. Anubis was shaking, too, and panting for breath. Leaning heavily on his staff, the spirit warrior slowly got to his feet. "Thank you," he said simply, but his sincerity and gratitude shone through. "I must leave, now. I must begin the necessary preparations to bring the Ronin back into the Spirit Realm."

Killian bit his lip, a sudden sorrow hitting him. But he didn't say anything. It was their home, and expecting them to stay would be unfair...but he was going to miss them. He'd spent several days with them, all sharing a very unpleasant situation. Killian wished they had lived in this generation. Even if it meant that Killian had never become a Ronin. Cye's group, and maybe Amaya, Tarun, and Xan could be the Ronin, and the rest could just help out...

"I will let them know, warn them," said Rashida. "And Tarun. When they're gone, he will not have their power. Killian, Yasuo, we'll have to join back in Kikoutei."

Anubis smiled, and bowed deeply to them. Killian remembered when he had once felt a little strange bowing, but he did so now alongside Yasuo. Rashida imitated them a little awkwardly in her bulky armor. "We will meet again," said Anubis, smiling. He turned away from them then and left the room, fading out as he did.

"All right," said Killian, running a shaky hand through his hair. "Let's get...actually...let's get back into the purification area. I don't just want to leave them without seeing them again."

Rashida nodded. "Okay," she said. "Good idea. Yasuo...?"

Yasuo smiled at them. "I will go outside and see if I can help with Talpa. Join us soon."

"You know it." Killian grinned and ran from the room, glad it was Rashida with him because he had no idea where to go, and she probably memorized their route as they went. After one or two wrong turns, she led Killian back to the chamber. Ryo looked up in alarm as the two of them splashed in. (And Killian soaked up some energy from the water.)

"It's all right," said Rashida, looking to Ryo, and then to Sage. She smiled at the blond boy, who smiled back.

"You did it," said Sage. All three of them were distracted and tired, still glowing faintly from their connection with the Inferno armor. "That's great, Rashida."

"Yeah," said Killian, sighing. "Anubis is going back now to get you back into the spirit realm."

They were all silent then, and Killian sighed, fighting the urge to cry. He really didn't look good-byes much. Shrugging a little, he walked up to Ryo and hugged him, feeling Ryo hug him back. It was strange to do, because Killian felt the power of Kikoutei as he did, along with Ryo's strange warmth. 'Like Nohano,' he thought.

"I'll miss you, mate," said Killian.

"You too," said Ryo. "And thank you."

With Rowen and Sage, Killian was a little more shy, but he hugged them too. Sage in particular was a little surprised, but even he hugged Killian back. Killian waited until Rashida had also said goodbye to their friends before stepping back.

"We gotta go," said Killian. "We gotta go help deal with Talpa."

"Kick his ass, Torrent," said Ryo with a grin.

"Definitely!" He shot a grin to the Ronin before turning to Rashida. She raised her hand in solemn farewell, before leading the way out.


	36. Talpa's Defeat

CHAPTER 36: Talpa's Defeat

Tarun had never experienced exhaustion like the bone-deep fatigue that dragged him down after so long wearing the Kikoutei armor, so long fighting an opponent that was far stronger and more skilled than he. With every parry of Talpa's sharp swords, he felt his arms shake with exertion and his knees tremble. Every burst of speed that took him away from a serious injury from the long blades Talpa wielded him took a little more of his energy. Exhaustion was not something Tarun was accustomed to dealing with.

But still he fought. He was determined and afraid both. Afraid that if he stopped fighting, he'd die...or someone else would die. Determined not to show weakness in front of the enemy, or in front of Suisei—he knew Suisei was there, but could hardly take a moment to look at him. Tarun might have gotten discouraged, if he did not notice one thing; Talpa was tiring, too, and he was tiring badly. His energy flagged, and his strikes were not as fast, nor as hard. 'Who's gonna run outta energy first?' Tarun thought. The idea of letting some miserable, ancient demon jerk outlast him galled him mightily!

A sudden, furious swipe of Talpa's sword knocked Tarun's feet out from under him, and he went down on his back with a crash of metal and a surprised outcry. His katana flew out of his hands. With a snarl of rage, Talpa leapt at him, driving his sword at Tarun's chest. He heard a cry of terrified dismay from Suisei as he rolled frantically out of the way, only just missing being skewered. Clenching his teeth, Tarun scrambled to his feet, grabbing for one of the many swords on Talpa's back, yanking it away from his armor.

Talpa roared angrily as he stood, and Tarun gasped at a sudden surge of blazing hatred and evil that came from Talpa's weapon. He flung it away with a cry of disgust, and sprinted from Talpa's lunge.

"You dare to take a weapon from me!" Talpa growled, spinning to face him.

'Not again I won't," Tarun thought, frantically looking for something else he could use. Suddenly he remembered he had two swords, not just one, and grabbed wildly for the second katana. 'I can't lose this one!'

He caught sight of Killian and Rashida and Yasuo from the corner of his eyes, but could not stop to look at them. He yelled in pain as Talpa's sword struck him in the arm, opening a gash in the armor and his skin. He swung the katana wildly back, missing Talpa, but making him duck briefly—enough time to get out of the way.

'I can't do this,' Tarun thought frantically. 'I'm not strong enough, I can't fight him!' And he could feel the others' exhaustion through the link—they'd not be able to help! Were they going to die? 'No!' he thought furiously. 'I'm not gonna die because of you, Talpa!' Clenching his teeth he ran at the demon once more...

---

"He's not gonna make it," Suisei whispered, drawing his bow. "I've got to help him!"

Nohano shook his head, but did not stop Suisei, even though Suisei could barely stay on his feet. Nohano himself didn't know if he could stand, period, as Suisei drew an arrow, forcing back the string of his bow with an arm that shook badly. The arrow flew, badly aimed and weak, and Suisei stumbled.

But it was not just exhaustion that made him stumble; the ground had begun to shake, and Nohano looked down in horror. "What the hell!" He turned, alarmed, as Yasuo came running up, looking tired and worried, and Nohano asked what was going on.

"I-I don't know," he gasped as he staggered up to them, looking over at Talpa's battle.

Nohano felt like he was going insane; everything was happening at once. "It's not—the Nether Realm, is it Talpa's work again?"

Yasuo looked over at where Talpa battled with Tarun, and shook his head. "No," he said. I don't think that it is—surely Talpa could not spare any power from his fights to do this!" They all looked back again as two more pairs of footsteps clanged against the stone behind them, and Nohao's eyes widened to see Killian and Rashida.

"Nohano!" Killian smiled, jogging tiredly to meet him, and they embraced briefly. Then Killian caught sight of Tarun. "Holy shit, he's still fighting?"

"But they're both tiring," said Demetrius. "This fight has been fifteen minutes."

Only fifteen minutes? Killian couldn't believe it; surely it had been longer than that from the time he first joined Kikoutei until now! But then it had only seemed forever, constantly fighting fatigue, fighting the Nether Spirits...

"But why is the ground shaking?" asked Rashida. She looked even more worried than Nohano, and he wasn't sure why. Her eyes suddenly widened, and she stared right at the dark blue sphere that was Amaya's shield. Nohano followed her gaze and caught a bright, sizzling flash of light where he could barely see Cye crouched. A chill went through Nohano. "What's happening?

Nohano!

It was Ryo, and he sounded scared. What's going on? Cye's glowing weird, and Kento!

I-I know, so are we! I don't know what's happening—Anubis is to draw us into the Spirit Worlds, but this—this isn't right! It's not Anubis or the Ancient one, it...

Other voices came in, then, from Cye and the others of Ryo's group, and it was clear this was not something good, or expected. Nohano looked around wildly, wondering what it could be that was attacking him. A low rending sound began to split the air, and beside Nohano, Killian looked up in horror. "What IS it?"

Yasuo turned to face them all. "The worlds are splitting apart again!" he cried, his eyes wide with sudden, horrified realization.

"But that's good!" cried Nohano. "Isn't it?"

"Not for Ryo, not for the others! They cannot be caught here when the worlds split—I don't know how quickly Anubis can bring them from this world!"

Nohano didn't understand, but sudden, dawning realization on Rashida's face told him that she did. "No," she whispered. "Nohano, Anubis destroyed Badamon! He was the one whose rite brought Ryo and the others here and made them solid, and he must have been at least partly responsible for the worlds merging, as well! Now that he's gone—!"

"What do we do?" Killian cried frantically. "What'll happen to them?"

Nohano felt Killian's helpless fear, and felt his own helpless fear. What would happen if Ryo was caught here? Even now the rends in the sky were beginning to recede!

Something happened then, something so deep that Nohano could barely feel it, much less identify. He also felt Rashida's quick mind working furiously, felt her still herself and calm her thoughts...and felt absolute certainty as she came to her answer. The armors! she whispered. Nohano, call the Ronin! Call Ryo—our armors can shelter them! But we have to be inside the armor!

She's right! Yasuo said in amazement. You can harbor their spirits—you can keep them safe until Anubis can call them back! Let the armor call them—but you must give it permission to do this!

Nohano did not even think about it—the permission was already given, and his armor knew this. He very nearly forgot about Talpa as he felt a strange sort of opening of his spirit, a deep, frightening sensation, a call to Ryo's own spirit. Nohano felt sudden warmth overcome him, and then the strangest sensation he had ever experienced—it was somewhat like it had felt when he had joined spirits with the Wildfire armor, but it was more. He realized suddenly that it was Ryo. Nohano blinked. He thought he should be reacting more, saying something, but he could not think of a single thing to say. Even his face didn't know what expression it should use as he stood, staring in shock. Had Ryo made it?

I'm here, my friend, said Ryo quietly, and Nohano's shock broke apart in the wave of sheer relief. He didn't know what would have happened, but his base instinct was that it would have been horrible.

Well this is interesting. It was Kento's voice, sounding much like Nohano felt; blinking in complete surprise. Are...are we all here?

One by one, Ryo's group sounded off, and it was clear they'd all made it, and the relief from Nohano's friends was just as great as his own. Relief and shock both.

A sudden shout from Yasuo caught their attention, and Nohano's astonished relief shot back up to frantic anxiety: "Kikoutei! Join back with Kikoutei!"

Nohano's head snapped up and he gasped to see Tarun had just been knocked down, and he realized that when Ryo's group had merged with Nohano's, their connection with Kikoutei had severed. Nohano stopped where he was immediately, closing his eyes and concentrating...

---

Tarun had been badly scared when all of a sudden more than half the power coming through his armor stopped. Talpa knocked him clean across half the slab of stone they fought upon, and Tarun felt blood on his face, alongside where he'd caught the laser-pistol burn. Shaking, he tried to struggle to his feet, only barely making it as Talpa leapt at him. The lapse in energy did not last long, and a sudden, great surge went through him, like it had felt before, when all twelve armor-bearers had been behind Kikoutei.

Talpa could see the difference, too, and he paused for just a moment as Tarun charged him, the great frenzy of energy not distracting him now, but bolstering his exhausted body. He didn't know what happened, but he was grateful for it!

A voice came through the link then, a voice that belonged to Ryo—but it was as if Nohano were speaking to him! He couldn't stop to wonder how this had happened, only that he was glad to hear it! Tarun! Use your flare attack! Your special attack!

What flare attack? Tarun asked, ducking beneath Talpa's blades. That's Nohano, not me!

Your special attack, what is it?

I don't have one!

Don't ha—damn it I forgot! Okay Tarun, listen carefully to me. Kikoutei has a powerful attack, like the original armors, like my Flare and Cye's Wave Smasher! Reach within yourself, find the strength, connect with the armor—you can defeat Talpa with that! We're all of us supporting you now, you can do it! Listen to your instincts!

You can do it, came Yasuo's calmer voice. Think, feel—you will know what to do, little one.

Tarun staggered back from Talpa, and for a moment, they faced one another. Tarun felt terrified, but not of Talpa; it was impossible to fight someone for fifteen minutes and still be scared of him. But this power, this attack...how? He frowned, trying to search for that the way he had found out what capabilities his armor had. And was there something? Yes! There was—it was there all the time, he just hadn't recognized it, or known how to use it!

Talpa seemed to know what Tarun was about to do. He raised his straight swords up together, and seemed to be gearing up his remaining strength for an attack of his own; Tarun tried not to be distracted, tried not to interrupt the growing force growing in his mind, through his entire body. He realized a moment later, however, that nothing could have stopped it once it began—not even him.

His arms both rose, though Tarun scarcely did it himself . They gripped the hilt of the sword, leaving him wide open for attack, but for some reason he was not worried. The power spiraled up, ripping through his body, but there was no pain. His hands shook as he fought to keep a hold of his katana, and he brought it down to aim at Talpa, without even knowing he needed to do it. He cried out words in Kannada, his native language, without having been told what the words were, and everything exploded in a bright flare of blinding light—light so bright even he had to shut his eyes to it and he faintly heard Demetrius cry out in pain.

Tarun did not see what happened then; the flare died down and he collapsed, fear overcoming him for only a moment before he blacked out.

---

Nohano was exhausted, but he was not as fatigued as he would have been had he borne Kikoutei himself. He fell to his hands and knees when Tarun blasted his attack, looking for a moment like an exploding star, and then the kid collapsed. Alarmed, Nohano looked up, seeing no sign of Talpa, and gently withdrawing his power from Kikoutei, struggling to stand. Rashida and Demetrius were also standing up, though Killian wasn't able to get up. He wasn't out cold, but close.

Suisei let a strangled cry and lurched to his feet, and no one tried to stop him. Demetrius and Rashida followed him to where Tarun lay, and Suisei knelt next to the boy. Tarun's armor had vanished, leaving him in his riot gear, and then only his clothing, the power orb rolling away across the stone. Nohano tried to reach him through the mind link, panicking slightly when he could not. 'Please just let him be unconscious!' he thought desperately.

It was a tense few moments as Suisei lay his hands on Tarun's chest before the sheer relief came through the link. Nohano closed his eyes and sat back down on the ground, shaking. Tarun was alive. It had been close, but he was alive, and would be all right...though it would take him some time to recover. Suisei reached out and took up Tarun's power orb, slipping it into his pocket.

That...was awesome, my friend.

Nohano blinked at Ryo's voice, almost having forgotten that he was playing host to his friend's spirit. Don't look at me, he said with a weary laugh, running a hand through his hair. Tarun's the one who did it! I just helped. He glanced around to see how Xander and Amaya were doing, and saw that they'd managed to hold onto consciousness. Yasuo looked tired, but Nohano suspected he was tougher than any of them, and was probably not as bad off!

That's true. But 'just helped' is nothing to laugh at either. All of you—you really are Ronin Warriors.

That was the best ass-kicking I've seen in years! crowed Kento. He sounded exhausted as well, though exultant, and Nohano realized belatedly that the original Ronin had given their spirits into Kikoutei as well. He also realized that he was being possessed, and thought, not for the first time, that he must have gone insane.

Me too, brother, said Ryo with a gentle laugh. Me too. Interesting, isn't it?

It didn't bother Nohano that Ryo had caught his thoughts, even though he hadn't sent them on purpose. Their spirits were sharing the same body, he probably couldn't hide anything from him if he wanted to. That's one word for it.

"Look!" It was Amaya; she was sitting on the ground in her armor, looking up at the sky. He looked up, wide-eyed, to see that the sky was very slowly returning to normal, and that the crags and other aspects of the Nether World were collapsing back into the ground, leaving a good deal of San Francisco recognizable again to Nohano. The rips in the sky were closing as if they were giant zippers, and in his exhaustion, Nohano actually saw the zippers closing up for just a second. He began to laugh, getting wearily to his feet.

People stood in the streets, looking dazed and ragged, and Nohano bit his lip, slowly standing and helping Killian to his feet.

We must leave soon I think, said Yasuo. We must find a private place to go. These people will be regaining their senses soon, and perhaps some memories of what has happened...

'No kidding, Nohano thought as the group of them moved together, some leaning on others, and all of them hurt and absolutely drained. Suisei carried Tarun in his arms, and Nohano winced on seeing the kid's injuries. 'No kid should have to fight a war,' he thought, biting his lip. Then he sighed. 'Guess that means me, too.'

Nohano rather thought they looked like the walking dead as they staggered out of the middle of the street and into a sheltered alleyway and towards the street on the other side. He knew he certainly felt like walking dead. Nohano told everyone to drop their armor before they emerged, and they did, waiting several minutes to make sure no one had followed them into the alley. Looking more like everyone else did, injured and dazed, it was far easier for them to travel. It was a relief for Nohano to get the armor off; it was getting unbearably heavy. He frowned slightly, then took off his shirt, telling Suisei to wait for a minute so he could at least somewhat hide Tarun's riot gear. It was too big, but better than drawing attention to themselves.

"We need to get home," said Demetrius quietly. "We need to find if it has been spared...or not."

Nohano didn't know why some buildings seemed to be untouched, and some seemed to be half-destroyed, and some were completely gone. He supposed explanations could come later. For now...Demetrius was right. They needed to get home.


	37. Shell Shocked

CHAPTER 37: Shell-Shocked

The damage was not bad...not even as bad as Nohano had anticipated it would be. The group of them walked the sun down, and it didn't take long to realize that any damage that had been caused by the actual merging of the Nether World and Earth had reversed when the worlds split. Moreover, it seemed that anything that had stood on Nether ground, no matter how it was destroyed, was also restored. When the worlds were together, the ground had alternated from terran soil to nether-soil, and the only things that seemed to still be destroyed were the things that had sat on terran ground. And as the wrecking crews had not even made it throughout the entire city, damage was minimal, not nearly as bad as it had been last September. Of course now, the damage was worldwide.

No one spoke much as they walked; even Ryo and his group were quiet, though Nohano could feel Ryo's presence easily enough. For Nohano, it was enough to be back with his friends, together and safe. He wished again he'd never become a Ronin, and that he could have met his friends another way. Still, he couldn't manage to feel all too dreary; the sun was hot and bright, and it had been so long since he'd seen it that Nohano couldn't look up at the bright sky enough.

None of them had been able to find the supplies that Xander's group had been able to get together, but Nohano didn't have to worry about that for very long. The disaster crews had gotten organized by the time the sun had begun to set, and when a group of them approached Nohano's group and asked if they needed shelter, Nohano said that they did.

There were five of them, driving a van that looked as if it had begun life as a schoolbus, but it was filled with medical equipment, water supplies, and cots all along the sides. When the woman in charge led the way onto the bus, Nohano didn't hesitate. "C'mon, guys," he said quietly. "It'll be nice to sleep somewhere that's not outside."

No one argued—all of them were nearing exhaustion, and they were all hungry and thirsty. For Nohano and the others who had been prisoners, they were gaunt from lack of nutrition. Killian was able to cleanse the water for them all to drink, but they'd been fed maybe twice the entire time.

There were several other refugees in the bus, mostly lying on cots. One or two were sitting up, and on all faces, Nohano could see the ordeals they had gone through. He wondered how much people remembered; last time they had remembered nothing, but then they hadn't been used for slave labor last time, they had been shut up in the towers. A horrible chill went through Nohano as he made the connection; the towers, the Nether Spirits...no wonder no one remembered their imprisonment last September. The human mind could not allow them to remember something as impossibly traumatizing as that.

"We're going to bring you all to a shelter for the night," said the woman. "And then we'll have transports to bring people home."

Nohano only nodded, wondering vaguely if they'd been in the slave groups, the towers, or the lucky groups that had escaped notice. He got his answer a few minutes later when she asked them if they remembered anything that had happened in the last week. When Nohano said wearily that they had, she asked sympathetically if they had been in the slave groups, or if they'd escaped notice. Nohano was able to answer truthfully enough, nodding at Tarun, Xander, and Amaya, and saying they'd managed to take cover, but no one else had.

"I'm sorry for what you've gone through," said the woman. "My name is Chelle Donnelly, we were able to take cover, too, in one of the public shelters. A lot of people managed to escape notice there—it's how we were able to organize so quickly once it was all over. We don't understand what happened, or why, but we kept a close eye on the situation."

That explained why they were all so calm, and none of them looked like death had warmed over.

For the next half-hour or so, Nohano sort of let himself be tended to by the emergency workers; they gave his group water and electro-injections of a general painkiller and mild sedative. They were a little worried when they could not wake Tarun, but after they'd listened to his heart and taken some things like blood pressure and his temperature, they were satisfied that he was not in danger. The crew looked Nohano's group over, cleaning and tending their injuries, and getting them something to eat. For Xander and Amaya, they gave them some normal food; sandwiches and a carton of milk, but for Nohano and the others, they gave some strange-looking nutrition bars. "The slave groups were damn near starved," said one of the men disgustedly. "We don't want to give you normal food just yet; these bars are full of nutrients, but they won't make you sick. They'll ease you back into eating normally again."

"Thanks," said Nohano tiredly.

"Now...most of you look very young, have you been separated from your parents?"

Nohano blinked, realizing that Yasuo was the oldest of them, and since they were of all different nationalities, the rescue squad had likely not realized yet that they were all a group. That explanation had taken a while to get clear, especially when Nohano remembered with a whole lot of annoyance and indignation, that Kale had taken his ID. It was strange for so many emancipated minors to be together, and Nohano knew they'd eventually have to offer proof of their emancipation. If their house was still intact, that shouldn't be a problem. For now, Chelle assured them, they didn't have to worry about it.

Finally the lot of them were lying down on the cots, taking the nine cots at the end of the bus, and the rocking of the vehicle was damn near putting Nohano to sleep. He was finding it difficult to let himself rest, though, because he was paranoid and wary, and feared that even if he did sleep, it would be plagued with nightmares.

Go ahead and rest. It was Ryo, his voice gentle and fond, and Nohano blinked. He had forgotten again that Ryo was there with him—Ryo was so much like Nohano, his spirit was so similar, that it was easy to forget he was there when he wasn't saying anything. Ryo chuckled. I'll look after you while you sleep, he said. So go ahead and rest.

"Thanks..." Nohano murmured, feeling suddenly grateful that Ryo was there...and that he was a friend. It was nice to be protected by someone for a change. Nohano closed his eyes, and that was all he knew for a long time.

Nohano was woken by a very gentle shake at his shoulder, and a soft, female voice calling his name. He started, sitting bolt upright, and looking around in alarm. Chelle Donnelly was there, not looking very surprised at his abrupt wakening, likely having experienced it several times in the course of her work. "We're here, young man," she said. "We're at the shelter. Come on...I know you're tired, but there will be softer beds there than in this bus."

She smiled at him, and Nohano managed a weak smile back. She went about waking the others, and Nohano sent out a brief, soft mental warning to them to sort of wake them up before she startled them. Nohano didn't like being startled awake, and thought to spare them the discomfort.

A nasty jolt of deja-vu gripped Nohano as he and the others were brought into a high-security underground public shelter. It wasn't the same one they'd hidden out in several months ago, but it looked almost exactly the same, and from the reactions he felt from most of the others, they thought so too. 'At least the elevators work, though,' Nohano thought as he was herded along with the other refugees into a large, industrial-sized lift that brought them down several stories.

There was a very unpleasant few minutes when one of the people in the lift threw up, but the rescue squad was able to clean it up fairly quickly, and tend to the sick man.

These damned shelters must all be exactly the same, said Xander sourly once they'd arrived on the bottom floor. Nohano agreed; the shelter was a big room full of cots, with cabinets and doors all over the place. He was too tired to care much, however, and so didn't say much else about it.

Chelle was right, though; the shelter cots were far more comfortable than the bare canvas ones in the bus, and when Chelle said that they could all shower if they wanted, Nohano was very badly torn between wanting to sack out right then and there, and wanting to bathe. None of them had really been able to take a bath for a good, long time. Xander's group had found one or two streams, and Nohano's group had been in the toxic water of the purification chamber, but none of that counted much in his opinion.

Finally, all of them decided that they did want to shower, as did most of the other refugees. They were led to the shower rooms in the shelter, and Amaya and Rashida disappeared into the women's showers. Nohano noticed that their clothing was as ripped as his was, but for them it was a little more revealing. Nohano scowled at that particular indignity that they'd suffered, thinking nasty thoughts about Talpa as he slipped into the men's shower.

Talpa—Talpa was gone. Nohano blinked, stopping short, and apologizing as the guy behind him ran into the back of him. The rest of Nohano's group had already gone into the stalls, shedding their clothing and tossing it into a bin the shelter crews had set out. Talpa was gone—was he gone for good? Or at least for a very long time? How long did that kind of defeat drive the demon away for, and could his warlords come after him, even if he himself was still incapacitated?

Nohano took a big breath and started walking again, finding where the other guys had gone, and finding that he had to wait for a shower-pipe, because they'd all been taken while he was thinking. He leaned tiredly against the tiled wall behind the shower Suisei and Tarun were in, quietly offering to bathe the kid. Suisei nodded his thanks, and Nohano held the kid up while Suisei cleaned him up. Nohano winced again as he saw the kid's injuries, and thought again of Talpa, and of Tarun's battle with him.

In a way, Nohano was sorry he'd not been able to wear Kikoutei again and to fight Talpa, but he was also happy that Tarun was able to fight the battle. He knew that Tarun had been feeling inadequate and a little useless, and Nohano didn't think he'd be feeling that way anymore when he realized what he'd done. 'I just hope it doesn't give him nightmares for the rest of his life,' Nohano thought morosely.

When Tarun had been gently scrubbed clean, Nohano offered to get him dried off and onto a cot; Suisei accepted the offer with thanks, and Nohano staggered out with Tarun in his arms. It was no huge deal to get the boy dried, dressed, and in bed, especially when one of the shelter attendants came and helped Nohano with the task. Yawning, Nohano staggered back to the showers to wait his turn.

He didn't know how he got through his shower without collapsing, but somehow he managed it. He turned the water on as hot as he could stand it (which was a good deal hotter than most the people around him) and scrubbed every inch of his body, leaning against the tiled wall half the time to do it. He wasn't alone, either, everyone else, Ronin and civilian alike, looked like zombies.

Nohano wanted to stay in the shower for about three hours, but he didn't. He got out once his body and hair was as clean as it was going to get, then stumbled out for a towel and clothing. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes and thanking whatever God there might be up there that he was safe. He felt ten times better once he was out of the shower and dressed in clean, comfortable pajamas. He mumbled a thanks to the shelter worker, and stumbled out to the main room, where the cots all stood. Once he was lying down, sleep took him so quickly, he could not even remember his head hitting the pillow.

The next morning, around nine o'clock, Nohano was wakened to eat a very strange breakfast. Amaya and Xander ate normal food, but for the rest of them, it was more strange nutrition bars and some mild soup. When Nohano nearly threw up the soup, he decided that he was glad of the weird food.

Ryo was still there when he woke, and Nohano asked him a little worriedly if he was going to be able to get out when Anubis and the Ancient tried to draw them back.

I have no idea, he said wryly. This is kind of a first for me.

Nohano had to laugh, trying to imagine what it was like. Was being the possessor anything like being the possessed? He looked over to his friends, particularly Killian and Demetrius. They had both been possessed before, by something of pure evil. Nohano imagined it couldn't have been easy for them to open their minds and spirits to shield the Ronin from harm.

Everyone was very quiet during the meal, still too wrung out to do much. A good night's sleep seemed to have made everyone more tired than less tired, which didn't make a whole lot of sense to Nohano. He asked about it, and got an explanation from Rashida.

"The past week has been a big strain on our bodies," she said. "Human bodies were not meant to endure what we have, especially for so long."

Yeah, Rowen broke in. Yesterday, you guys—well us too, for that matter—we were going on pure adrenaline. Even when that wore off, we were still on our feet. It's a lot easier to keep going once you're already standing, then to sit down and rest, then have to drag yourself up again.

"That sounds about right," muttered Suisei. "I feel like sleeping about twelve more hours."

"At least," Xander added. He glanced over to the cots, where Tarun still slept, and frowned. "He gonna be all right, Suisei?"

Suisei also looked over, his expression darkening. "I hope so. The medics say he's just recovering. They're gonna give me a couple of electro-syringes for him to keep him hydrated and all that, but they said he should wake sometime soon. And if not, to bring him to the hospital"

He'll be fine, said Rowen, his voice calm and encouraging. He's...what, eleven?

Ten.

Ten. Dang. Well he's small, anyway, and the Inferno armor really takes a lot outta ya. I mean we're talkin' major-league exhaustion. We've been out cold for twenty-four hours at a time before, and that's just contributing to it. Ryo, weren't you out for three days, once?

Nohano felt the oddest sensation through the link, as is Ryo had shuddered. Yeah. I dunno if I've even felt that miserably tired in my life. But don't worry, Suisei. Rowen's right, he'll be fine once he rests up.

Nohano was glad that Rowen and Ryo had come into the conversation to reassure Suisei. The older boy looked a whole lot less worried, and Nohano was less worried, too. Hell, he'd been knocked cold last time he wore the armor, too, and he'd not worn it as long. Of course he'd not been unconscious as long afterwards, either.

After breakfast, a group of the shelter officials came into the main room from somewhere in the back. For the first time, Nohano really noticed them, their crisp, gray-and-red uniforms, their neat hair and the boots they wore, and how efficient they all were. But they weren't cold and impersonal. It was clear they cared about people, or they'd not be in this line of work.

Chelle Donnelly was there, and clapped her hands once to get people's attention. "We will be taking people to their homes today!" she called, and there was a subdued cheer from the weary refugees. Chelle grinned. "I thought you might like that. So, after breakfast, make sure those of you with belongings here get them ready, and we'll be bringing the transports in."

Nohano could not help but grin, too—how long had it been since he had seen his home? Though when he wondered if it was all intact, his grin faded. Was it intact? He'd not seen how badly it had been damaged, and hadn't thought to ask the others if they knew. 'Well I guess I'll find out,' he thought grimly.

The next hour and a half seemed to crawl. The officials were taking people out in groups according to where they lived, and Nohano's group was not among the first half to go. When their names finally were called, Rashida and Xan had both fallen asleep again and had to be roused, which neither were entirely thrilled about. But when Nohano said it was time to go home, the both lightened up considerably.

The transport looked like a giant subway train with wheels. Nohano had seen them before, but never ridden one; they were really fast, from what he had heard. When they said it would take less than an hour to get to their area, he was well pleased.

Everyone was quiet on the trip home, not knowing what they would find when they got there. They all managed to stay awake, however, peering out the window as they rolled into the neighborhood, most of them wincing just in case there was something there they wouldn't like. Nohano wasn't wincing, at least not outwardly. The area seemed to have taken little damage, which was a good sign, and when the transport finally got to the street where Nohano and the others lived, Nohano bit his lip.

He laughed aloud suddenly at the sight of their home, looking as if it had not been touched. He saw the relief on the others' faces, too, but none of them could quite manage to cheer; there had been a few people leaving the bus who'd found their homes were partly destroyed. Not many, but some.

Nohano's group stood wearily, thanking the driver and exiting the transport. Nohano just stood for a moment, looking at the house and smiling. The transport left behind him but he hardly noticed it as he walked up the steps and put his hand on the knob. He stared at it blankly when it didn't move, and he turned around to the others. "Uh...anyone have their key?"

They all gaped at him for a moment, and Xander and Killian started laughing. Xander said his father had taken everything he and Amaya had on them, and they'd not thought to take anything but the armor orbs when they left. Fortunately, Suisei found Tarun's key in the boy's pocket, and they were all able to get inside.

Nohano opened the door and walked in, intending to collapse on the couch and not move for about a week.


	38. Explanations

CHAPTER 38: Explanations

Waking up was difficult. Tarun had never felt anything like it before, and it alarmed him a little bit, the vagueness, the half-awareness, the horrible, deep exhaustion. At first he could perceive nothing except a sort of dream-like state of memory where flashes of a fight with someone a lot bigger than he kept running across his brain. He knew in a vague sort of way that he was waking up, and thought he might have been asleep for quite a while, but he'd never woken up so slowly before. He hoped it wasn't a sign that something was wrong.

Suddenly, his eyes were open, blinking in a dim room that he couldn't comprehend. It was his room. How could it be his room? A frightening feeling of disorientation overcame him, and Tarun rolled urgently out of bed, staggering once his feet hit the bare wood floor, and grabbing his nightstand to steady himself. He felt shaky and weak, and had to take several moments to catch his balance.

The room was nearly dark, the smallest bit of light coming in through the thin curtains to cast long shadows and gloomy, desolate colors around his room. Biting his lip, Tarun stumbled over to the light switch and turned it on, blinking in the near-painful glare of the overhead light. He squinted until the light-spear stopped poking him behind his eyes, then looked at the door. Were the others here? Surely they'd not left him alone?

For one irrational moment, Tarun was afraid that they had, that there was no one else left, and he was the only one there. Fighting panic, Tarun yanked his door open, creeping out into the dark hallway.

When he heard voices, Tarun almost thought he was hallucinating, and was hesitant to peer into the kitchen, from where the voices came. When he cautiously stepped into the room, he blinked in the warm light of the kitchen and stared dumbly at what he saw.

Everyone was there at the table, eating, and the scene was so typical that another dizzying disorientation came over him, that none of the past two weeks had happened at all. If it weren't for the fact that Yasuo Toshitada was sitting there near them, Tarun might have been fooled into thinking he'd dreamed the whole thing. But then Killian caught sight of him, and his eyes widened, his mouth splitting into a delighted grin. "Tarun!"

Tarun blinked as every one of them either spun in their chair or looked up to see him, and pleased surprise was on every face...except Suisei. Suisei lunged up from his seat, nearly sending the chair crashing backwards, and ran to him, kneeling down and grabbing Tarun into a grateful, relieved hug. Tarun burst into tears without really knowing why, and flung his arms around Suisei. He didn't think he could describe how good it felt for Suisei to hold him—he'd not seen him in so long, and then Tarun had fought with Talpa, and then... Then Tarun wasn't sure what happened.

"Thank God," Suisei murmured, and Tarun thought with amazement that he was crying, too! Had Tarun been that badly hurt? Had they been worried about him?

When Suisei sat back on his heels to look Tarun over, Tarun rubbed his eyes, looking around the room. Everyone was grinning at him, even Amaya, who was not normally a grinner. Tarun looked down at himself, seeing he'd been put in his pajamas, and put a hand on the back of his head. "What happened?" he finally asked.

There were chuckles around the room, sounding wary and tired both. "That's one long story, anklebiter," said Killian, smiling at the indignant look Tarun managed to muster. "Come on, sit down and we'll find something for you to eat. And we'll tell you."

Food! Tarun was suddenly, ferociously ravenous, and he let Suisei lead him to a chair, climbing up to sit in it while Suisei looked through the cupboards. Everyone looked pretty haggard and tired, too, particularly the one that had been prisoners. But there was someone missing, and Tarun's eyes suddenly widened. "Kento and Cye! Where—"

We're here, kid.

Tarun blinked at Kento's mental voice, and he looked around, trying to figure out why Killian was suddenly cackling with his head held tiredly in his hands, or why Rashida looked like she had a headache. Tarun figured that he must look utterly confused.

Nohano spoke up: "Like Killian said, it's a looong story."

Now he really wanted to know! Once Suisei came back and put two peanut butter sandwiches and a glass of water on the table, then sat down in a chair so close it touched Tarun's, the story began.

As he leaned against Suisei and ate his sandwiches, Tarun listened to everything that had gone on from the time they were all separated at the fence. He learned it had been a paralyzing venom of Sekhmet's, and that they'd been ambushed the second they got through the fog, and taken to Talpa. He clenched his fists when Nohano mentioned the days they'd spend being tormented, as had Ryo's Ronin group, then tossed into the purification chamber.

When Tarun's group had invaded the valley, and the warlords had been set on them, Nohano said Anubis came in to see them, telling them they had to join Kikoutei, and that Tarun was channeling it. "He got us our armor, too," said Killian. "That's when Nohano, Suisei, and Demetrius went out and gave you a hand with the warlords."

"Yeah," said Nohano, his eyes narrowing, and a smile, humorless smile played across his mouth. "There was nothing as satisfying as kicking Kale's ass after what he did to me. Shuang too, that prick."

Tarun's own fists had clenched of their own accord in a silent, savage cheer. He'd seen only small parts of Nohano's battles; fighting Talpa had taken all of Tarun's concentration and focus.

Fighting Talpa... Tarun felt suddenly astonished as he realized the enormity of what he had done, and he slumped back in his seat. "I fought Talpa!" he said faintly. Most everyone chuckled, and Tarun figured he probably did look pretty funny—but it wasn't funny! It was...it was—it was unbelievable!

Kento's voice came through again, startling Tarun, because he still didn't know where he was hiding. You sure as hell did, kiddo! he crowed, his mental voice gleeful. And you kicked his ass, too!

Tarun stared blankly, then turned to look at Suisei. "I did?"

Suisei smiled, hugging him. "You did, Taru-chan. You definitely did. I can't even say how proud I am of you and your courage. You fought him down, Tarun—I don't know where he went, or what happened, but he lost that battle. He lost it."

Several of the others congratulated him then, including others in the mind link he didn't even recognize, but this time Tarun barely heard them. He felt shaky and numb with wonder at what he'd done—and succeeded at! He laughed, amazed, sitting back in his chair once more.

He didn't say anything for a moment or two as he took another bite of his sandwich. (He was absolutely starving.) When he looked back up, most of his friends were grinning at him. "I don't...remember Talpa going away," he finally said.

Suisei shook his head. "You wouldn't. Do you remember letting loose that attack on him? The special one, through the katana?"

Tarun's eyes widened in sudden remembrance. "Oh yeah!" he exclaimed. How could he have forgotten that? It was the weirdest thing he'd ever done, or felt! But after that...

"You dropped," said Demetrius. "You collapsed right after that, but that attack defeated Talpa. You were unconscious for..."

"About two days," said Killian. "We were pretty worried about you."

Two days? He'd slept for two days? How could anyone sleep that long? No wonder he couldn't wake up so easily, he probably forgot how! "Wow..." he said shakily.

Pretty weird, huh? said one of the mind-link voices, laughing a little. It was one Tarun did not know. And it gets weirder.

"Weirder?" said Tarun, raising his brows. "Weirder than it is now?" He looked around, not knowing if he wanted to know more, then frowned. "Where's Kento and the others, anyway?"

Kento's mind-link voice laughed, sounding wryly amused. Rowen said it got weirder...

So the final part of the story was told, of Anubis's fight with Badamon, helped by Rashida, Killian, and Yasuo. Killian described what it was like to fight them, and about Yasuo's cool chain attack.

Yasuo chuckled. "Anubis-san was quite surprised," he said ruefully. "The last time that attack was used from that armor, he still wore it, and served Talpa."

Tarun felt a little chill, shivering, remembering his own realization that Anubis had once been one of the bad guys. He huddled next to Suisei, who put an arm around him. Tarun still couldn't believe how good it felt to be back with Suisei; he had missed him horrible, and had worried for so long, and he'd almost forgotten what an incredible comfort he was. He was suddenly grateful that Yasuo had come to Tarun that day at the orphanage, and taken him to be put in Suisei's care.

He brought his attention back to the conversation, realizing his question still hadn't been answered. "But the other guys—!"

"We're coming to it," said Killian with a laugh.

"When Badamon was destroyed," said Rashida, "his work began to come undone. The worlds began splitting apart, and the Ronin, the original Ronin, were still solid, and in this realm. "Yasuo realized that if they were caught here or the Nether Realm when the world split it would be bad for them. We've talked about it some today, and he thinks that they might be trapped here as ghosts, or perhaps even destroyed completely. Everything that makes them who they are, and everything they ever were. Gone."

Tarun suddenly felt sick. To be trapped forever as ghosts was bad enough but to be wiped away completely—it was such an abomination that he could hardly think of it, much less try to describe it. He suddenly wished Kento and Cye were right there, so he could hug them, and make sure that they were okay. Catching Tarun's burst of worry, Kento came through the link again. I'm all right, kiddo, he said. Thanks for worrying about me. But we're all okay.

Definitely, said Cye, and the strangest feeling, like a mental hug, came through the link. Tarun liked it, and thought vaguely he'd have to figure out how Cye did it.

"But how?" Tarun asked.

"Well, we're possessed," said Nohano, laughing a little. "Rashida figured it out. We had the armor on, and were linked to the armor. We could shelter them. Her armor let her know, and we just sorta called them to us. The armor called to them too. And...well they sorta dissipated I guess."

"It was frightening," said Demetrius somberly. "I could only remember the Nether Spirit." By the look on Killian's face, he was, too. "But Kento is nothing like a Nether Spirit."

Thanks, said Kento ruefully, and everyone laughed.

"It's true, though," said Killian. "It's nothing like being possessed by one of those bastards."

"How will they get back to the Spirit Realm?" asked Tarun, cocking his head and running a hand through his hair. He noted belatedly that he was clean and someone had combed his hair while he was asleep.

Anubis's gonna bring us back, said the one called Rowen. Yasuo said he armored up earlier and contacted him.

We hope, said another voice, sounding like he wasn't at all sure.

"So—so who are the other ones?" He knew their names, though he couldn't recall them just then, but he had never actually met anyone but Cye and Kento.

Well, I'm Ryo, said one of the unfamiliar voices, and Tarun realized that he had a mind-feel similar to Nohano's.

Sage, said the cynical voice. Or Seiji if you like.

"Seh-gee...I kinda like that one!"

Not as cool as "Kento" though, boasted Kento, making Tarun laugh.

A snort came from Ryo. Up until you tell him your Japanese name is something English-speaking people wear on their foot." All of Ryo's group and half of Nohano's laughed at that, and Tarun did too, when he learned Kento's Japanese name.

Well, I'm Rowen, said the last voice. I'm the sane one.

As sane as we get, anyway, said Sage dryly, but he sounded amused all the same.

Silence fell, then, and Tarun just sat and looked at everyone. It was all almost too much to take in! And the most difficult thing to realize was that everyone was okay, more or less, and were safe now. He kept looking at everyone, confirming it, Suisei most of all. Tarun had never spoken of it, but he'd been afraid too many times that the next time he saw Suisei, that Suisei would be dead.

"The guys from No Quarter are okay, too," said Nohano, his voice quiet. "Couple of them got caught in one of the slave squads. But it was better than being put in the towers."

Tarun shivered again, and this time couldn't stop for a few moments at the sudden reminder. The towers. The ones Talpa imprisoned people in, the towers of pain that took years to turn people into Nether Spirits. The towers that fueled Talpa's realm. "I-I'm glad," he finally said.

"Yeah," said Nohano. "Me too. It's gonna take a while for the to get over it though. For everyone...even us."

Yeah. It was going to take a while—for a lot of people.

The sudden sounds of strange chimes made Tarun jump, spinning around as the eyes of his friends flicked up to look at something behind him. Tarun's eyes got very wide at the sight of Anubis standing there, smiling, and Tarun laughed. "Those are creepy!" he finally exclaimed, pointing at the metal rings atop Anubis's staff.

Anubis raised an eyebrow, the smile still playing on his lips. "Oh?"

"Yeah! When you first came up to me and I saw you and heard those, it was all creepy. And then you were kinda creepy too, so I was all creeped out."

Everyone at the table laughed, then, and even Anubis chuckled, but not Tarun—they were creepy! "Strange that you find them so," said Anubis. "To me they are soothing."

"I like them as well," said Demetrius. Most everyone nodded, but Tarun didn't mind. He was a bit different from most people in the way he thought, anyway.

"I'm glad you came here!" said Tarun with a grin.

Anubis smiled again, nodding in acknowledgement. "Thank you. I am glad as well. I came to see how you all fare after your battles."

"Pretty good, actually," said Suisei. "As well as can be expected, anyway." Tarun looked up at him, frowning a little at the look on Suisei's face. 'As well as can be expected' was about as good a description as any. After what they'd all gone through, they were all probably going to need psychiatrists!

So Tarun, ask him what happened to ol' empty-helm, said Kento. I'm not sure if I can link to Anubis from here.

Tarun blinked. What happened to who?

Kento chuckled. Talpa. That mask of his doesn't have anything behind it, you know. Least not that we've ever seen.

Tarun giggled a little before looking back up at Anubis. "Kento wants to know what happened to ol' empty helm."

Everyone else laughed, and Anubis strode forward so that he was in the kitchen proper. "I do not know for certain," he said softly. "But I do know that your battle with him, little one, weakened him greatly. As when last the Ronin fought Talpa...when Ryo and the others fought him...he has been defeated. For how long I cannot say." He smiled at Tarun who suddenly felt his face grow hot. "Well done, Tarun. You fought your battle as a true warrior."

Tarun felt an involuntary grin spread on his face, his cheeks growing yet hotter, and the most remarkable, pleased feeling coming over him. He was proud, yes, but realizing just what he had done...and how many people it had helped...it took time to fully grasp! "It was scary as heck! It was the scariest thing in the world—it was fun!"

Nohano groaned and put a hand to his forehead, and Killian sighed, shaking his head. But Kento only laughed. You're all right, kid!

No wonder they get along so well, said Sage, his mental tone rueful.

"What was that word you yelled?" asked Xander. "When you did that powerful...sun attack or whatever it was."

Word? Tarun thought back to the fight, trying to remember if he had yelled a word, and it finally came to him, swimming slowly from his sunconscious. His mouth split in a grin. "It was in Kannada," he said. "Paraakaashthe; it means..." he blinked, obviously unsure of how to translate. After a moment's mental conversation with Suisei, he finally said, "Zenith! It means 'zenith'. Like the sun zenith."

"Of course," said Xander with a laugh. "Course it would be...what else would a daytime Ronin have for a battle cry? That's like an uber-day, when the sun's highest."

"Anubis," said Nohano suddenly. "I have a question—about the armor. You said that when the armor splits from us, not all our power is taken. How can that be? I felt it split from my own spirit!"

"Yes," said Anubis. "The Ronin armor is called to those who can bear it. Anyone can wear the armor if they know how to don it. But only certain people can bond with it, can bind their spirit to the spirit of the armor. People who have the powers of their element already within them." At Nohano's blank, astonished look, Anubis chuckled. "Have you never wondered why you can tolerate, even thrive in temperatures that leave most people exhausted? Or why you have never feared fire, nor been burned?"

Nohano blinked. "Uh...well no I guess I didn't," he finally said, laughing in sudden amazement. "It...well I never noticed these powers before. I mean I kinda did, but..."

"No," said Anubis. "Most of them lay dormant. When you bind with your armor, it is the catalyst to awaken your abilities. Once they are awake, they are awake. They do not sleep again once the armor is gone. This is why you were able to join Kikoutei, even when you did not have your armor, and why the Ronin you all shelter within your spirits can even now use their abilities in spirit."

"And why I could heal," said Rashida softly, astonished realization in her voice. "I should have known!"

"That explains a whole lot, actually," said Suisei with a quiet laugh. "And Tarun, and Amaya and Xan, it works the same way?"

"I believe so. The only way to know for sure is to try."

"I know I don't have my speed," grumbled Tarun, "or I'd win kabaddi a lot more!"

Okay, said Rowen, So someone ask how we're gettin' home, willya?

At Rowen's request, there was a general lot confusion as four of them tried to ask the question at once, and then all said at the same time "Go ahead," so that nothing intelligible got out for several seconds. Finally they all laughed, and Killian spoke up, "Er, Rowen wants to know how they're getting home."

"Ah," said Anubis quietly. "The other thing I came to speak of. Kaos, the Ancient, and I have prepared the ritual needed to bring them back into the Spirit Realm. I did not want to simply pull them away from you, and thought you would want to say goodbye."

No one said anything, and Tarun suddenly felt like he wanted to cry. He slumped back in his seat, biting his lip. I don't want you to go, Kento...

Kento's mental voice sighed, and then came the peculiar "hug" sensation he'd felt earlier from Cye. I gotta, short stuff. I sure can't stay in Demetrius's body. For one, that's just...weird. And not really fair to either of us.

Tarun scowled, not wanting Kento to be reasonable. He was right, and he made sense, but Tarun didn't want to be reasonable or to make sense, either.

He's right, came Cye's voice, gentler and more calm as always. We have to go, Tarun. But it will not be the last you see of us.

Tarun frowned a little, distracted for a moment from his impending tears. "It won't?"

Cye chuckled. No. I'd miss you, kiddo, very much if I were to just leave. Anubis can appear on this plane. We should be able to, too.

Yeah! said Kento, a grin-feel in his voice. If Anubis can do it, it should be a snap.

Tarun giggled, especially when Ryo said, I'm telling him you said that once we get back.

Kento snorted. Figures.

Tarun bit his lip, his smile fading. I'll still miss you, though...

Yeah, said Kento. Me too, kid. But think of it this way: you'll be up here with us someday. Might take a long time, but even death's never goodbye for good.

Yeah...that was true! Death wasn't goodbye for good! Had he not been talking and interacting with dead people for a whole week, or more? He laughed a little, not feeling quite so bad about the whole thing anymore. And if they really could come and visit...and maybe Tarun could figure out a way to visit them!

Now, then, Anubis? asked Sage, and Rashida repeated the question.

Anubis nodded. "Yes," he said. "When you are ready."

There was silence for a moment, and then Ryo's voice. I guess now's as good a time as ever, Anubis.

Anubis nodded, straightening up and taking a step away from the table. "Very well. I will take my leave now, then. Long lives to all of you...and I expect we'll meet again." He smiled at the group before he faded gently out, leaving nothing but empty space where he had stood.

I hope this isn't gonna hurt, grumbled Rowen.

No kidding, said Ryo. I've had about enough of that.

Thanks for all your help, guys, said Nohano quickly, as if afraid he wouldn't get it all out in time before Ryo and the others were taken. I'm sorry you all had to go through what you did...

We'd do it again in a second, if it meant defeating Talpa, said Ryo fiercely, the thought echoed by all four of the others. And to help you all out, too.

Yeah, said Kento. After all, you guys came after us, we'd sure do the same. We're all Ronin.

"And friends, too," said Tarun with a grin.

That too, half pint, said Kento. Tarun sighed and rolled his eyes. He was going to have to start thinking of nicknames to retaliate with when someone called him short!

The whole group fell into a sort of companionable silence, and Tarun wondered how long it was going to take to get Kento back home. He still didn't want Kento to leave, but knew well what it felt like to be stuck someplace that was not home, and how bad it felt.

As if his thought had provoked it, a sudden glow around the table made Tarun yelp in startlement, and Xander curse mildly. Nohano, Killian, Suisei, Rashida, and Demetrius were glowing the colors of their armors, and Tarun blinked, creeping from his chair and taking a step back...just in case anything too weird happened.

Tarun had expected that he would see the Ronin Warriors' forms leaving their host bodies, or something like that, but the entire thing was kind of disappointing. The five of them glowed for about a minute, the expressions on their face uncertain and anticipatory, and then the glow faded...along with all traces of the original Ronin Warriors' mental presence. Killian bit his lip, and sadness came over Demetrius's face. Tarun knew how they felt—he felt their absence already, and he hadn't even been connected to closely to them.

"We will see them again," said Yasuo quietly. "I have no doubt."

"And we can contact them through our armors until then," said Demetrius, winking one of his ice-blue eyes at Tarun. "I will pass any messages you will want to Kento."

Tarun laughed, grinning in delight; he had forgotten about that! He had forgotten the others can contact their predecessors! "Okay," he said. "Thanks."

"In the meantime," said Suisei, standing up. "We all should get a little more rest. We can get up for supper, and perhaps see if there's a store open. We'll need to replace everything in the fridge, I think."

"Oh, man," uttered Xander. "You're right. That stuff's been in there over a week with no power...maaaan..."

Tarun grimaced. "Ew, gross—hey maybe I can take some of it for science class."

Everyone laughed, and Killian said, "Forget science class, mate, we could probably sell the whole lot to a biological laboratory." Which of course made everyone laugh even more.

"Come on, kiddo," said Suisei, putting an arm around Tarun's shoulders. "I think you could use a nap."

While normally Tarun would have protested strongly, he couldn't protest today; he was exhausted to his bones, and that was not usual. He didn't like it much, either, and if sleeping was the fastest way to get rid of it, then sleep he would—he couldn't believe he was still tired! That just wasn't normal. "Will you stay with me?"

"I'd planned on it, kiddo." Good. The idea of sleeping alone again made Tarun shiver a little; he'd not forgotten the sudden panic on waking that he was alone, and that everyone had left him there, and he didn't care to repeat the experience.

Tarun's bed was big enough for the both of them to share; Tarun was small, and Suisei was skinny. He nearly hung off the ends, but it was comfortable enough. Tarun hardly had time to say goodnight once his head hit the pillow before sleep rushed in to claim him.


	39. Loose Ends

CHAPTER 39: Loose Ends

The day after Talpa's defeat, Yasuo told them at breakfast that he would be leaving for Japan to see how his hometown had fared. "I must help those who had been hurt," he said, "and help with the rebuilding."

Nohano was not entirely surprised, though he would miss the older man. They'd gone through a lot together, and you just can't go through hell with someone without creating a bond. But at least Yasuo was easy to contact, and Nohano and the others could contact him every day if they wanted. And for that matter, they could visit them without spending any money, with Amaya's teleporting ability.

Suisei said that he would drive Yasuo to the airport, and Yasuo accepted. Tarun, Nohano, and Amaya all went to see him off, squishing into the backseat for the ride there, all fairly silent during the drive. But it wasn't an uncomfortable silence. Everyone seemed to be simply enjoying one another's presence.

When they got to the airport, Suisei let them all off at the entrance, then left to find a place to park. That was okay with Nohano; it meant they could get Yasuo' ticket and get it all out of the way before Suisei rejoined them.

It wasn't difficult to get a flight out to Japan; not many people were much inclined to travel, and Nohano didn't blame them. He had gotten several hours of sleep more than he was used to in the past two days, and he was still exhausted, and he could imagine most other people probably felt the same. The only one that was close to normal so far as energy levels went was Tarun.

Once Suisei came back into the terminal, he joined Yasuo and the others in the waiting area outside the gate. "At least you don't have any luggage," said Nohano, chuckling rather weakly. They were all avoiding talking of the past events. No one was quite ready to do that.

Yasuo laughed softly, and nodded his head. "That is true. And what will you do today once I am gone, hmm?"

"Clean the fridge," said Suisei grimly.

Yasuo winced. "An unpleasant task. I wish you luck."

"We will need it," said Amaya, shuddering slightly. She frowned as the loudspeaker overhead suddenly blared out that they were beginning to board Yasuo's flight.

Yasuo sighed and stood up. "Farewell for now, my young friends," he said, warmly shaking hands with each of them in turn. "And thank you." He smiled, then added through the mind link, The world is safe because of you. And I think it will be safe for a good long time.

No one responded to this in words, but they didn't need to. Yasuo could obviously feel their appreciation and their affection for him through the link. He finally backed off a step and headed towards the security check at the gate, raising a hand to the group as he went through.

Nohano returned the gesture, sighing a little as he looked up at Suisei. "Well," he said. "Let's go home to the massive moldfest that's celebrating in the refrigerator..."

Amid Tarun's snickering, the four of them left the airport.

---

An hour later, Nohano and his family all assembled in the kitchen, armed with rubber gloves, cleaning cloths, soap, and baking soda. Exchanging grim glances, they faced down the refrigerator, which was humming quietly as always, and Nohano wondered what vile things its white, shiny door was concealing. As Xander had said, a week without power...

Demetrius finally sighed, stepped forward, and opened the door.

A waft of cold, rancid air blasted all of them, and they recoiled, groaning and exclaiming in disgust. Gagging, Rashida took several steps backwards, and Tarun exclaimed, "Eeeeeew!"

"I'd rather smell a warlord," Killian groaned, and everyone laughed, even through grimaces of revulsion.

"I don't think I could make that choice," said Demetrius, shaking his head.

Once the door had been open a few moments, the smell lost some of its horrible potency, and Nohano got up enough courage to step forward and peer inside.

It was pretty bad. The gallon of milk had curdled, and largish chunks swirled around when Nohano shook the jog. Fighting the urge to gag, Nohano put a hand over his nose and mouth and investigated the rest of the food.

There was nothing salvageable. The cheese and butter both grew their own mold gardens, and some leftover lunchmeat was brown and slimy, and stank like a dead rat. The apple juice had mold floating on top (at which Tarun became indignant, since the apple juice was mostly his.) The lettuce was brown and wilted, and the leftovers looked so gross they decided to throw away the containers they were in and just get new containers.

The cleaning did not take as long as Nohano had feared. They threw everything into a strong garbage sack, and sprayed the inside of the fridge liberally with disinfectant spray-cleaner, letting it set for five minutes for maximum effect. Once it was all wiped down inside, it smelled a lot less rank.

The freezer was a bit more messy, as an entire quart of ice cream had melted, and was coating the whole bottom of the freezer.

When they were all finished, Rashida set the open box of baking soda in the fridge and close the door, as everyone shed their plastic gloves into the garbage sack. Demetrius lifted the sack out of the garbage can and tied it up.

"Are we all going to the store?" asked Tarun.

"We won't all fit," said Rashida with a smile. "Perhaps half of us can go, and the other half can clean the house a little."

That was actually a good plan. Nohano had the urge to stay busy, to keep himself distracted so that he didn't start thinking of horrible things. Even as tired as he was, it was better to keep busy. So while Suisei, Tarun, Rashida, and Demetrius went to the store down the street, Nohano and the rest of them stayed behind to do some tidying up.

The house had not come through completely unscathed. The place was sound, and its foundations (checked by Demetrius) had not been compromised, but there were a couple of cracked windows, and a lot of debris and dust around the house, and even inside it.

By the time the others got back from the store laden with grocery bags, the house was looking fairly decent, and the cracked windows had been securely duct-taped. Once the fridge had been restocked, Nohano let out a sigh of relief.

"I think we should have lunch now," said Rashida. "To celebrate out renewed fridge."

That was as good an idea as any! The seven of them broke out fresh bread and lunchmeat and made themselves a meal.

That night, the group spent the evening on the phone and on Suisei's computer, contacting their families and making sure they were safe. They had mostly come through the ordeal safe and sound—Japan and the United States had been hit hardest by Talpa's forces. Nohano was glad. He didn't know how he'd feel if his friend's closest families had been harmed.

A feeling of content settled over the house that night as they went one by one to their beds.

---

Days passed, and for Nohano and his friends, they were quiet ones. The entire city was in a sort of state of shock, and Nohano knew that everyone else was trying to recuperate, too. He'd been told of the slave groups, and how they'd been treated, and he also found out that none of them had lost their memories. Only those who had been confined to the towers...

Nohano almost wished his friends from No Quarter had been in the towers instead of the slave groups. Then they'd have no memory of those horrible days. But then maybe they'd have deeper pains in their spirit.

For a little over a week, Nohano's group stayed at home, neither going to work nor to school. The schools were closed, as were half the businesses, and many of them had rebuilding to do.

Nohano had caught a news report on the entire thing, an half-hour special report that they had all sat down to watch. The melding of the worlds had happened across all seven continents, and the countries' governments were in a fair fluster about it all, not understanding what had happened, or why. Not all, though. Keiji Ijiri, the Prime Minister of Japan, knew. He had come on to say that the events that transpired were caused by a powerful demon...he didn't say much about it, and the spectators were clearly skeptical. Nohano supposed he didn't blame them, even if it did irritate the hell out of him. Even President Cavanaugh had made a public announcement, saying much the same thing, and explaining that a group of warriors whose identity had to remain secret had saved the earth.

Nohano had blinked at that, and then laughed, pleased. She'd given them credit without blowing their cover, and gone on to explain how the "Ronin Warriors" had fought the demon and caused the worlds to break back apart, where they belonged. The people watching her didn't believe her much, either. Nohano knew there were some who would realize the truth of her announcement, but for others, it was just safer to disbelieve, and pretend it all didn't happen. Theories of mass hysteria and holograms were a lot easier to understand.

Nohano was coping far better than he had feared. He'd had nightmares, but with his entire family there in the mind link, with Killian and Xan right there in the attic room, it was pretty easy to calm down from them. And he returned the favor, too, for several of them.

Amaya, Tarun, and Xander were recovering far more quickly. They'd gone through a lot of battles and seen a lot of horrible things, but they'd not endured the torture Nohano and the others had. And Tarun...well Tarun's mood seemed unsinkable, which was good for everyone's morale. Once it he sunk completely in that he had borne the Kikoutei armor, had fought and defeated Talpa himself... One would think it would go to his head, but it didn't. But the kid was on the most incredible high for days, proud of himself, and happy to the core of his spirit that he'd been able to help defeat such an awful evil.

He wasn't happy the entire time, however. During the uncommon quiet times he had, his expression would turn haunted, and Nohano could see evil memories reflected in his dark eyes. He wondered sometimes what Tarun was remembering when he got like that, but never asked him.

They all kept in touch with Yasuo, making sure that he was all right, and asking how things were in his village. Japan had fared about the same as the United States had, and they were in the process of rebuilding, also.

By the end of the week, everyone had recovered from their fatigue, and their injuries had been completely healed by Rashida. Those whose injuries had mostly healed before Rashida got to them bore battle scars, reminders of their fight. Tarun didn't seem to mind much, though he got an indignant scowl every time he caught sight of one, remembering the indignity of being injured in the first place. Amaya and Xander also bore the marks of their wounds.

Nohano had no lasting scars. He'd been tended to in the Nether Realm by Rashida and Sage both, as had the rest of the captives. So he supposed he was lucky in that respect.

He was sorry that he had not been with Amaya and the others as they made their way towards Talpa's palace. But in a way he was also glad. They'd worked together to fight their way across the city, without leadership, without a healer, and without Suisei's life-saving ability. And Kento and Cye had even fought, unarmed, and unarmored.

Nohano was proud to be a Ronin. And he was proud of his family.

As for Ryo and the others, Nohano had made sure to contact him a few times during the week, asking how he was, and if they had all gotten back safely. They had. He asked if Ryo had told Anubis what Kento said. He had, and Anubis had only laughed, and said that he would spare Kento this time.

On the eighth day, Xander had paid a visit to his father, over Nohano's protests. It wasn't that Nohano didn't want Xander to try and fix things between him and his father, but Nohano remembered how Doug Black had shot Killian, and all the problems he had caused. But they had the mind link, and Amaya was ready to teleport if they had to. It turned out to be unnecessary.

When Xander got back, it was clear he'd been crying, but he looked relieved, too. "He's turned himself in," said Xan as they all gathered in the living room. "He realized he needed help after he attacked Killian."

"That was him, then, not the spirit," said Rashida quietly, and Xan nodded. Nohano knew what she meant; Xan's father had gotten possessed by a Nether Spirit, who'd kidnapped Xander and Amaya to keep them out of the way while everyone else was lured into a trap. It was the same reason the phantoms in the fog-fence had not let Tarun through; Talpa did not want the new armors in his realm until he had completed his ritual. Having never been touched by his evil, they were a potential threat.

"Yeah," said Xan glumly. "Well I won't go into all the detail. But he called the cops, who came to collect him. He says he's sorry, and I believe him."

"He'll get the help he needs," said Nohano. "And you can start over again."

Xan nodded. "Yeah. Well—guess I better write to Mom, and let her know." Nohano watched his friend climb the stairs towards the attic, where his writing supplies were, then leaned against the wall.

"Well...guess all the loose ends have got wrapped up now," said Killian.

"Not all of 'em," said Tarun quietly. He was sitting on the floor looking unusually serious. Nohano frowned, and looked around at the others, but they seemed as perplexed as he was. He asked, but Tarun wouldn't say. It was obviously something that he had to deal with himself before sharing.

Nohano didn't find out what was bothering Tarun until several days later. They had all returned to work and school by that time, though Tarun's elementary school had a day off for a teachers' workday. Nohano and Tarun had gone to the grocery store to get some milk, and at Tarun's insistence (begging), ice cream.

When they got to the ice-cream aisle, Tarun stopped short, his eyes widening, and for just a moment, Nohano thought there was going to be trouble. His hand has slipped in his pocket, where he kept the Wildfire orb, when he realized the feel from Tarun was not alarm. It was astonishment, and a soul-deep relief that Nohano did not understand.

Nohano followed Tarun's gaze and caught sight of a little boy, about four years old, clutching his mother's hand, his thumb in his mouth. Nohano peered at the boy, trying to recognize him, but he'd never seen the kid before in his life, only that the child's eyes were haunted, the same expression Nohano had seen on too many people. He finally looked down at Tarun and was startled to see he was crying. "You okay, kiddo?" Nohano asked, trying not to sound as confused as he felt.

Yes! cried Tarun through the mind link, turning around and flinging his arms around Nohano. More baffled than ever, Nohano hugged the boy back.

Tell me about it when we get home?

Tarun nodded his head, still hugging Nohano. He stayed that way for several moments before pulling away and wiping his eyes on his shirt. Tarun seemed to be blissfully happy during the whole rest of their shopping trip.

When they got home, Tarun said that he wanted to wait until everyone was there before telling his tale. Nohano, not the most patient sort, agreed that would be best, but spent the whole day wondering just what had been up with that kid.

He was very surprised, when he found out. That night at supper, Tarun told everyone about what had happened when he was alone on Highway 280, and how he'd been tricked by Dais. And how he had realized that he had left a real child behind. Now Tarun's almost frantic relief on seeing the boy made a whole lot more sense.

"Oh, kid," said Suisei quietly, drawing the boy into a hug, scooting his chair closer. "Why didn't you tell us?"

Tarun shrugged, looking a little morose. "I...couldn't," he said. "I can't explain it any more."

Suisei gave Tarun a squeeze around the shoulders before letting go of him. "I think I understand. It's hard to talk about that kind of thing. 'Specially if you think they'll be angry with you."

Tarun nodded energetically. "Yeah," he said. "And 'specially when the other people are your family. That makes it worse."

Nohano stayed quiet through the rest of supper, thinking about what he would feel like realizing that he'd allowed some child to be taken back by the miserable warlords, knowing he could have helped him. Probably pretty damned miserable. Nohano scowled darkly, thinking dark thoughts about Dais, and understanding now why Kento hated him so much.

After supper there was yet another newscast on the whole incident; the news had been having a huge heyday with Talpa and his merging of the worlds. The old Ronin legends had been dug out, and anyone who knew anything about them were being consulted about them. Nohano was both surprised and amused to see that Yasuo Toshitada, a fairly well-known historian in Japan, had been convinced somehow to accept an interview. Nohano read the English translation at the bottom of the screen with a grin on his face, admiring how Yasuo managed to give a lot of information about the Nether Realm and the Ronin legends, and not mention a single one of their names, or anything about their identities.

"Wonder what they'd say if they knew he was one of 'em," said Killian with a grin.

"I dunno," said Nohano. "Probably faint, or something."

"It's kinda creepy, everyone knowing all these legends, now. Guess they figure 'forewarned is forearmed.'"

Nohano nodded, saying nothing, only listening to the rest of the interview, becoming mildly indignant when Yasuo said that surely the new group of Ronin were as cocky and overconfident as the last group. "I'll get him for that," he muttered.

"Yeah—us, too!"

Every one of them spun around in alarm at the voice, as it had not belonged to any one of them, but then Nohano laughed in disbelief at what he saw. Ryo was standing there, grinning, his arms crossed over his chest. The other four Ronin were there as well, and Anubis stood nearby, smiling amusedly.

Tarun laughed, jumping up to his feet. "Hi!" he said excitedly. "You guys learned how to visit!"

"Told ya," said Kento with a grin. "Told ya if Anubis could do it, we could." He dodged sideways as Anubis took a swipe at him with his staff, and Tarun laughed.

"Kento!" said Tarun. "Guess what? I saw that little boy. He's okay!"

Kento blinked, and for a moment it was clear he didn't know what Tarun was talking about. But then his expression softened into a smile, and he nodded. "That's great, kid," he said quietly. "That's great." Anubis said nothing, but the smile he gave Tarun was warm and very happy at the news.

'He knew,' thought Nohano; he's known Anubis knew, since he'd been there when it happened. But Kento... 'Kento and Tarun must had one heck of a talk one of those nights...'

"We can't stay too long," said Ryo. "Especially with all of us here, you wouldn't believe the amount of energy this is taking. One at a time will be easier. But we wanted to come down and say hi. And thanks again."

"And that we're honored that you bear our armor," added Sage formally, though his sincerity was evident. Nohano felt a warm glow spread throughout his body that didn't come from the Wildfire armor, and the pleased, proud smiles on the faces of his family told him that they felt the same way.

"Thanks," said Nohano simply. "You know, that means a lot."

"You're the guardians of the earth," said Ryo with a grin. "It's a pretty tough job. But hey, we've left the world in good hands."

Nohano laughed. "Hey—did you expect anything different?"

Most everyone laughed, and Ryo snorted, shaking his head. "Yeah. You're Ronin all right."

Anubis stepped forward then, his tone regretful. "We must leave soon. It was good to see you again." He smiled at the group before stepping back and fading away.

Ryo sighed. "All right. I guess we're out of here. But we'll talk again soon. You guys take care and be careful."

"And behave!" Kento added with a grin.

"Ha!" said Xander. "This group?"

Kento sighed in mock despair, rolling his eyes to the ceiling before he, too, faded out. One by one, the others disappeared, leaving only Ryo for just a moment. Nohano raised a hand in farewell, and Ryo returned it with a grin before he, too, faded out.

Everyone was quiet once their friends had gone, but they all looked pretty happy. Nohano was glad to have seen them again, but he was also thinking about what Ryo had said, that they were the guardians of the earth. It was a great responsibility, he understood that, and a great honor, also.

And it was a scary one. He might never see Talpa or his warlords again, but there was always something. If one demon was able to cause such trouble, who was to say there were not others like him? Or malevolent spirits, or any number of things that could threaten the populace? They would have to be ready for all of that. Nohano wasn't sure if he was ready.

'Don't have a whole lot of choice in the matter,' he thought. The armor had come to him, and it wouldn't do to just cast it off onto someone else. 'Nope. You're stuck with me, Wildfire.' He smiled as he felt the small sphere heat up for just a moment.

Putting the long thoughts out of his head, Nohano sat back down on the couch beside Killian, his brother. 'Family,' he thought. 'How could I ever have thought I didn't need one?' Any number of battles with demons was worth having figured that out.


End file.
